Doctor Who is one of those shows that is always changing. Quite literally since the titular Doctor reincarnates (or regenerates) every so often. Recently, Peter Capaldi has been fulfilling the role of the Twelfth Doctor, but now that era is coming to an end. Capaldi has announced that he will step away from the role after the next Christmas special in 2017.
Capaldi is, in no uncertain terms, an absolute joy as an actor. Many fans have even stated that his performance has been the best thing about this recent run of Doctor Who. That must mean something to showrunner Steven Moffat as he’ll be exiting the show at the same time as Capaldi. It sounds like Moffat’s finally run the course and is ready to step away from the series he helped revitalize.
Where does Doctor Who go from here? The series was mostly confined to the UK but became an international sensation when the reboot hit in 2005. Talks have persisted about a feature film adaptation but nothing has ever quite manifested. Honestly, Doctor Who is basically British Star Trek so maybe they should look to that series for inspiration when it comes to moving to the big screen. As someone who isn’t super knowledgeable about Doctor Who, it would be great for a feature film to welcome in newcomers and get them hooked on the world and characters.
Regardless, this is a bummer for fans of the Twelfth Doctor. Capaldi brought something very fresh to the role and clarified that the show wasn’t just about hunky young dudes. Here’s hoping that the next eventual Doctor will continue to push boundaries as to what fans expect from the series.
Let’s punctuate this news with Peter Capaldi’s first full appearance as the Doctor. No doubt that he’ll go down as one of the better Doctors in the show’s storied history.
