Things have been pretty crowded in the TARDIS over the past couple of seasons, but it’s looking like Doctor Who might be losing one of its four leads after the currently airing season 12. Tosin Cole has played Ryan Sinclair on the sci-fi show since Jodie Whittaker took over as the Thirteenth Doctor in 2018, appearing in every episode as one of her three companions, alongside Mandip Gill’s Yaz Khan and Bradley Walsh’s Graham O’Brien. But he’s now found himself another gig.
Deadline has revealed that Cole has joined the cast of new AMC drama 61st Street. Cole stars as Moses Johnson, a talented teen athlete whose life looks to be ruined when he’s falsely accused of killing a white police officer. Courtney B. Vance also features as Franklin Richards, the veteran public defender who sees Johnson’s case as his last chance to get back at a corrupted judicial system. Peter Moffat is writing, with Michael B. Jordan and Alana Mayo producing.
Though it’s a limited series running at eight episodes, this is clearly a major new project for Cole, so fans are seriously wondering whether it means he’s exiting Who after the current batch of episodes. Radio Times has added extra fuel to the fire by noting that the actor has signed up for a round of convention appearances without his colleagues. And though we’ve yet to get any official confirmation here, all the signs do seem to be pointing to one outcome.
Of course, many fans would likely agree that having three companions hasn’t necessarily been the best move for the show. Though the emphasis on the team’s family dynamic has been well-received, there’s rarely enough space per episode to give each lead an equal share of the action and dialogue. That said, given how much the gang has been portrayed as inseparable up until now, I’d speculate that Cole’s potential exit comes from the actor himself and is not a story-based decision. In any case, if Ryan is on his way out, then we’d better savor the next few episodes with the whole fam together.
Doctor Who season 12 reaches its midway point this Sunday with 10×05 “Fugitive of the Judoon.”