Doctor Who Star Explains How He Kept His Comeback A Secret

By now, we’ve more or less recovered from the many surprises in last week’s episode of Doctor Who. “Fugitive of the Judoon” not only threw a whole new Doctor into the mix to upset established canon, but also brought back John Barrowman as Captain Jack Harkness. What was perhaps most impressive about the actor’s return, which has pleased a lot of fans, is how the production managed to keep it a secret up until the premiere. And now, Barrowman has revealed how he kept his comeback from leaking out, and the strict rules he had to maintain to do so.

Remarking on his return as part of a BBC featurette, Barrowman had this to say about the process of bringing Captain Jack back to Doctor Who:

“I got a call from my manager saying ‘Chris Chibnall wants to speak to you’ and it was glorious. I had to keep it a secret, but it was partially to surprise you all. The only person I’ve told, and I was allowed to tell, was my husband, Scott, and also I told my mom and dad and my big sister. I text Russell T. Davies and oh, I have to tell you, I told David Tennant, and I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait. I was so excited to see how they were going to bring him back.”

In the same interview, Barrowman explained his excitement at the current direction of the show and Jodie Whittaker’s performance, commenting:

“I think Jodie has created an entire new persona for the Doctor and again, I’m really glad I’m part of it.”

We only received a brief glimpse of Captain Jack in “Fugitive of the Judoon,” wherein he met the Doctor’s current companions, mistook Graham for the Time Lord, and fended off an attack on his stolen space ship. Although Jack didn’t get to meet Whittaker’s Doctor, he did share what appears to be a crucial piece of information for the rest of the season, warning of a “Lone Cyberman” that’s not to be trusted.

Based on Barrowman’s other responses to his cameo, he’d happily return to the series again, and we wouldn’t rule out another appearance this season. We can also hope that Barrowman’s recent injury won’t affect any plans to bring him back this year, although for the time being, there doesn’t seem to be any news on this preventing further cameos. Given the love for Captain Jack among Doctor Who fans, his cameo was a fitting sign of how the latest season is now embracing the series’ mythology, after a more self-contained season 11.

What do you think, though, of the chances that we’ll get more of Jack Harkness this year on Doctor Who? As always, let us know in the comments section down below.