Romance has always been a big part of modern Doctor Who, with each of the first four Doctors of the revival having some kind of romantic storyline (David Tennant and Matt Smith had many). However, the past two seasons have completely avoided tackling the notion of the Thirteenth Doctor’s sexuality, much to the disappointment of fans. But this may be about to change in season 13, according to a new report.
The TARDIS Zone YouTube channel has shared many factoids about the next run of the sci-fi series in their latest video. Host Noel warns, though, that these should be counted as rumors at this stage and he’s not guaranteeing they’ll happen. The most headline-grabbing one is that he’s heard that one episode will feature the Doctor alluding to being bisexual and a guest star will apparently be brought on board to explore this.
What’s more, it’s said that the show will tackle the character’s change of gender more head-on than before, with Jodie Whittaker’s Time Lord allegedly set to “apologise for past mistakes when the Doctor was male.” Moving away from the Doctor specifically, it’s additionally rumored that showrunner Chris Chibnall is looking to cast trans and/or non-binary actors to star as new companions.
As for villains that could feature, the EP is apparently planning to reinvent classic monsters the Sontarans and may even have a multi-Master story up his sleeve which would include recast versions of original Masters Roger Delgado and Anthony Ainley. Last but not least, the BBC is allegedly considering changing up the TARDIS’ exterior due to the current negative reception of the police with the public.
There’s much to chew on with these rumors, then, and sometimes leaks like this do turn out to be spot on, but it’s worth listening to the channel’s own warning that they’re unconfirmed for now. Three seasons in, though, and it may be time to finally give Thirteen some kind of romance when Doctor Who returns.
