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Steven Moffat Says That Missy Paved The Way For A Female Doctor

The BBC made a landmark decision this summer when they cast Jodie Whittaker as the first ever female Doctor. It's not like the news came out of nowhere, though, as Doctor Who has been playing with the notion of Time Lords regenerating into women for the past few years. In fact, 2011's "The Doctor's Wife" by Neil Gaiman first introduced the idea and it kept growing from there.

The BBC made a landmark decision this summer when they cast Jodie Whittaker as the first ever female Doctor. It’s not like the news came out of nowhere, though, as Doctor Who has been playing with the notion of Time Lords regenerating into women for the past few years. In fact, 2011’s “The Doctor’s Wife” by Neil Gaiman first introduced the idea and it kept growing from there.

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Specifically, the Doctor’s arch-nemesis, the Master, regenerated into a woman back in 2014, when Michelle Gomez first appeared as Missy opposite Peter Capaldi. In hindsight, it’s this that Missy’s creator Steven Moffat thinks paved the way for the first woman Doctor later on.

While chatting at the Edinburgh TV Festival, Moffat told The Showbiz Lion the following:

“I mean I suppose we’ve been heading in this direction for a while with the Master becoming a woman, I always thought the moment the Master became a woman, the Doctor would NEVER allow that to stand without having a go at the same.”

As he’s said before, Moffat is overjoyed with the idea of the Doctor becoming a woman – but, more specifically, that Whittaker’s been chosen to play the part.

“I think it’s absolutely wonderful. I think it’s thrilling. But never mind the fact everyone’s talking about how it’s a woman – it’s Jodie Whittaker! That’s the great thing. Jodie Whittaker, one of the best actors of her generation, is playing the Doctor.”

He also decided to end on a reminder that he’s one of the few lucky souls to have already seen Whittaker’s first scene as the Doctor:

“I’ve already seen her first little tiny bit and it’s brilliant.”

Those of us stuck on the slow path will have to wait until December 25th to see the actress debut – not to mention Peter Capaldi’s tearful farewell – in the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas special.