Now that Doctor Who: Flux has concluded, Jodie Whittaker only has three specials to go until she hands over the keys to the TARDIS.
As always, speculation about who’s going to be the next Doctor is everywhere, with many actors touted to be in the running. Someone that’s entered the discussion recently is Omari Douglas, who just worked with returning showrunner Russel T. Davies in his acclaimed AIDS crisis drama It’s a Sin.
In a profile piece about the actor, iNews endeavored to find out if there was any truth to the rumors and asked Douglas about it. “That’s news to me!”, he responded. “Very flattering to be thought of, though, especially with Russell returning as showrunner.” Not content with that, iNews reached out to Davies himself to further investigate Douglas’ chances of becoming the Fourteenth Doctor. And the writer/producer gave a much juicier reply.
“STOP IT! That’s cheating,” Davies teased, before going on to praise Douglas as the perfect leading actor:
“He’s just got everything you need in a leading actor, he’s fearless and limitless. And stays great fun, even when the subject matter is tough. We had the works with Omari [in It’s a Sin] – sex scenes, drag, riots, grief — and I don’t remember Omari having a single question or doubt.”
It’s clear that Davies thinks extremely highly of Douglas and would work with him again in a heartbeat. Some sort of role in Doctor Who season 14 feels inevitable, then, but will it be as the Time Lord himself? If he did land the coveted gig, Douglas would be both the first Black man to play the part as well as the first openly gay person to do so. Following Whittaker’s casting as the first female Doctor, that would be another important and much-needed milestone for the series.
Davies previously helmed the show from 2005-10, overseeing both Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant’s tenures in the TARDIS. He had worked with both actors beforehand, too, so it’s obvious that Davies prefers to hire someone he can trust to take on such a demanding and challenging role. So Omari Douglas’ chances are definitely looking good.
While we wait for the Fourteenth Doctor to be announced, the Thirteenth Doctor’s ending begins in Doctor Who: “Eve of the Daleks”, airing this New Year’s Day.