The latest incarnation of Doctor Who's eponymous adventurer has only been on fans' TV screens for an hour, but Ncuti Gatwa has already made an incredible impression. The Fifteenth Doctor — who you may know from Netflix's “Sex Education” or this summer's “Barbie” — jumps, dances and weaves his way onto the stage in the show's new Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road.” He's quick on his feet, smart and warm-hearted when introduced to his new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). He also knows how to rock a kilt.
Gatwa's appearance as the Fifteenth Doctor was historic from the start, as the openly queer black actor follows Jodie Whittaker and breaks the decades-long cycle of predominantly white male leads in the series. But from the second Gatwa literally bursts onto the screen – and out of David Tennant's body – in the anniversary special The Giggle, it's clear that returning showrunner Russell T. Davies has big plans for the new era of Who. Viewers have already gotten a glimpse of some of these plans in recent episodes, including when “Fifteen” quickly ditched the Doctor's signature single-outfit look and instead opted for an entire wardrobe of great fashion.
Fifteen's origin story is an even more obvious detour from the series' status quo: he was born from a so-called bi-generation, a phenomenon Who has never mentioned before, in which one Doctor regenerates into two forms. While longtime fans found the logic behind this choice uncertain, it has already proven emotionally rewarding, allowing David Tennant's “Doctor” to take an endearing human respite on Earth while “Gatwa” traverses the known universe. Ncuti spoke to IGN about Fifteen's fashion and acting alongside Tennant and Gibson, as well as the unique two-generation storyline, which he says is just part of Davies' ambitious plan for the series.
Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) and the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa)
Bi-Generation: Double Doctors mark a bold new era in Who lore
Gatwa says he found out about the two-generation storyline a few months after casting, when Davies presented his plan for the new season. “I got cast and then a few months, maybe two months later, I had to meet all the producers, they just wanted a little celebratory drink, like 'You're the doctor, welcome to the family,'” the actor tells IGN and points out that it was at this point that he was given the so-called “Season 1” scripts. When it comes to the mythology-shattering concept of bi-generation, however, it doesn't seem like the cast got too caught up in the details. “He just told me! He told me what was going to happen,” Gatwa said when asked how Davies pitched the idea.
Still, the actor clearly recognized this moment as a turning point for the show. “I thought to myself, 'From now on things will be done differently.' Russell, I can see the wheels turning in your head as you think of entirely new places the show could take place.'” When it comes to further exploring the Double Doctor phenomenon, Gatwa says it's ” There will be small parts” of the associated story, but Fifteen’s two-generation status also emphasizes that the character is also simply the Doctor in his own right. “The origin story of Fifteen is just the origin story of the Doctor; He is simply the next doctor in line,” confirms Gatwa. “It's a new mythology that Russell has created that the Doctor can regenerate fully or twice.”
“There is a whole pantheon full of different villains, lore and mythologies.” -Ncuti Gatwa
Judging by the actor's carefully spoiler-free comments, it sounds like the first change that sent fans into a frenzy was just the tip of the new lore iceberg. “There's a whole range of mythologies that Russell brings, there's a whole pantheon of different villains and sagas and mythologies that he brings to the series,” Gatwa reveals. Above all, the actor emphasizes that the two-generation storyline is “just very exciting and very indicative of the new adventures that we're going to have in Doctor Who.”
Rebounding David Tennant’s “Regeneration Energy”
While most Doctors don't cross paths with their predecessors, Gatwa was able to appear alongside Tennant (who played the Tenth Doctor from 2005 to 2010 before returning as the Fourteen) in an introductory scene full of infectious energy. According to the actor, his time on set was similarly exciting. “David is an incredible actor and just the easiest person to move around with [off of]. He has so much energy that just exists around him, like the regeneration energy,” Gatwa tells us. “Just in life, he just has this aura about him that is very easy to enjoy and play with, to pick up on things and just create. It’s just really easy to create with him.”
When it came to distinguishing the pair's performances in a scene where Gatwa's sprightly new Doctor meets Tennant's more world-weary version, the actor said it all happened quite instinctively. “We're guided by some very, very clever scripts and then they're kind enough to trust us to do our own thing, and that's what they did,” he explained. “I wanted to pick up on some of the subtleties of David's physicality in my performance because I had just popped out of his shoulder and I feel like there's a physical connection between them like we've never seen before,” and that's why I wanted to I will continue this.”
Bi-generation!
Gatwa also points out that because of its stellar performance, “Fifteen” did not experience the more subdued box-office episode that was common in some previous incarnations. “Fifteen has to find her way around pretty quickly,” he says. “He doesn't have what we've seen before: the ability to figure out how to be a doctor in her new body, and it seems like it's all a bit blurry.” Instead, the Doctor regenerates in the middle of a showdown between Fourteen and Neil Patrick Harris' doll-loving villain The Toymaker. “There’s a lot of information being thrown at him,” Gatwa says. He notes that “everything that happened in this scene happened organically,” including the choreography before filming, in which the actors were allowed to “explore on the floor how to pull it off.”
Introducing Ruby Sunday
“The Church on Ruby Road” may be our first full introduction to “Fifteen,” but it is also the first time fans meet Ruby Sunday, the charming and optimistic adoptee played by Millie Gibson. Gatwa says he was able to watch Gibson's audition and even read a scene with her, although he notes, “It wasn't a scene you'll ever see.” It was written specifically for the audition.” The test scene included “elements from many different episodes” or the “initial glow” that would carry over into Davies' future scripts. Still, Gatwa says he was immediately taken with Gibson's performance.
“She just came in and had so much humor in the lyrics,” he remembers. “She had a quickness and a lightness and a humor, but then…she just turned it on its head and got really emotional, and I thought, 'Oh, that's really interesting.'”
The pair's sense of togetherness is palpable from their first moments together on screen, and by the time they're done rescuing Ruby's foster siblings from baby-eating goblins, it's clear that they're a perfect match as adventurers. This also apparently reflects the real dynamic of the couple. “We would get into so much trouble at school and I like that. “You’re mischievous,” he remembers. Luckily for fans, the two have a lot more mischief ahead of them when the show returns in 2024.
Expect to witness a whole world of fashion
The most inspired twist in Doctor Who's Christmas special has nothing to do with Ruby or a pirate ship full of goblins. Instead, it is Gatwa's style that amazes. Rather than settling for a single signature look (Doctors in the past have worn bow ties, large coats, fez hats and skinny ties, among other things), Gatwa says the Fifteenth Doctor will embody as much global and local fashion as possible – starting for a club look with a stylish kilt. “Do I have a favorite look from the Christmas episodes? Yes, my favorite look is my kilt and tank top,” confirms Gatwa. “Any time I get to represent my Scottish roots, I will do so with unashamed pride.”
“The Church on Ruby Road” introduces new companion Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson).
When selecting outfits, Gatwa says he sits down with designer Pam Downe, whom he calls “our incredible, impressive genius of a costume designer” and “visionary.” “She shows me her sketches and we discuss what we like, what we don’t like, where we want to take the doctor,” he explains. While some choices are practical – the Doctor would need the right shoes to walk on Mars, says Gatwa – the outfits are also intended to serve as a reflection of Doctor Who's expansive position in British culture and beyond. “You need clothes that fit your life, and how do we tell the Doctor’s story through clothes?” Gatwa says. “But also for me personally, I really like the fact that the show is such a quintessentially British show… It's been around for 60 years… I want to explore the whole of Britain through fashion. “I want to explore all the subcultures.”
Gatwa says Who's long run means it's “a show that reflects society, that reflects British society and also the world and where we are”. As the institution of Doctor Who changes, so do Fifteen's outfits. “I just think it’s really interesting that we’re having this conversation with fashion as well and seeing how the Doctor perceives the world and how he sees the world.”
It is already known that the cast had already filmed Gatwa's second season as the Fifteenth Doctor before the first season aired and that there are plenty more fashion moments to look forward to, according to the actor. “I can’t say enough about what Pam does,” he tells us. “She is undeniably a genius. You think you saw looks. You haven't seen anything yet. Season 2 is…she’s outdone herself.”
Doctor Who's The Church on Ruby Road is now streaming on Disney+. Doctor Who season 14 will be released later in 2024.