Doctor Who season 2: Release date, cast, and everything we know about Ncuti Gatwa’s next season

Doctor Who
(Image credit: BBC)

Ncuti Gatwa is bringing the TARDIS right back onto our screens for Doctor Who season 2. His Doctor is getting a new companion for his ongoing adventures through time and space, which are set to reconvene in a matter of weeks. Also known as Doctor Who season 15, these new episodes will air on the BBC as normal in the UK and stream on Disney Plus elsewhere around the world.

Thankfully, we know exactly when the Doctor will arrive, and we have all sorts of information about who'll be dropping by for a guest appearance, what kind of enemies he'll be facing, and more. The closer we get, the more we learn, and it all sounds riveting.

We've gathered all the timey-wimey details on Doctor Who season 2, including the exact release date, every plot detail available, the cast, and of course, all the trailers. This is everything you need to know about the Time Lord's latest jaunt in their flying police box. Before you scroll down, you should be aware: the following contains spoilers for Doctor Who season 1.

Doctor Who season 2 release date

Doctor Who

(Image credit: BBC)

Doctor Who season 2 is returning on April 12. That date has been officially announced following an earlier leak.

As for the team behind the series, there are some exciting additions. Along with showrunner Russell T Davies, a new group of writers have joined the show for season 2, including Juno Dawson, Inua Ellams, Pete McTighe, and Sharma Angel-Walfall.

"Doctor Who takes its talent from a glittering galaxy of names, and these extraordinary writers span the skies. We've got old hands, new stars, voices from theatre, radio and literature, the whole works! It's the most wild and exciting season of Doctor Who yet, and I can't wait to unleash their brilliant work," Davies said in a statement (via BBC).

Doctor Who season 2 cast

Doctor Who

(Image credit: BBC)

Ncuti Gatwa is back as the Doctor for a second full season, meaning that Christopher Eccleston is the only post-reboot Doctor to only stick around for one year.

Despite leaving the TARDIS during the Empire of Death ending, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) will also appear in the second season – at least for a handful of episodes.

The Doctor is also getting a new companion: Varada Sethu is back, having already played Mundy Flynn in season 1 episode ‘Boom.’ She won't be back as Mundy, though, but as a new character, Belinda Chandra.

Doctor Who, of course, has history with this: Clara Oswald arrived ‘early’ before getting official companion status, while Peter Capaldi showed up in ‘The Fires of Pompeii’ as Lucius Caecilius before playing the Twelfth Doctor.

In terms of guest stars, we know that EastEnders actor Rose Ayling-Ellis and Slow Horses' Christopher Chung will star in at least one episode. Freddie Fox, a regular in House of the Dragon and Slow Horses who previously worked with Davies on another show, is set to play a villain in an episode. X-Men star Alan Cumming has also been confirmed, voicing a cartoon character named Mr. Ring-a-Ding.

Outside of those, nothing else has officially been announced by the BBC when it comes to the Doctor Who season 2 cast.

However, given her tease at season 1’s end, we would expect Anita Dobson to appear once more as Mrs. Flood – something that she confirmed herself in an interview with Radio Times.

Doctor Who season 2 trailer

Doctor Who | Season 2 Teaser | Disney+ - YouTube Doctor Who | Season 2 Teaser | Disney+ - YouTube
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A teaser trailer for Doctor Who season 2 was revealed on Christmas Day, following the release of the festive special. This first look at the new episodes features Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor, Varada Sethu as Belinda Chandra, and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday.

In June 2024, we got a sneak peek too, where Ruby is seen telling a large group in a pub to stay indoors, and to instruct their friends and family to do the same.

As of March 2025, we now have a full-length trailer for Doctor Who season 2, which you can watch below.

Season 2 TRAILER | Doctor Who - YouTube Season 2 TRAILER | Doctor Who - YouTube
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This latest clip gives us our best look yet at Belinda (or "the Nurse," as she tells the Doctor) – and she doesn't sound too keen on traveling through time and space. "I am not one of your adventures," she tells the Doctor. "You need to get me home."

The fact that Sethu has already appeared in the show looks like it'll be addressed too, as the trailer features a clip of her 'Boom' character Mundy Flynn, and the Doctor says there's already something connecting the two of them.

Along with glimpses of spooky new aliens and some great period costumes, we also get a glimpse of Mrs. Flood in the audience of the Interstellar Song Contest.

Doctor Who season 2 story: what’s been said by showrunner Russell T Davies?

Doctor Who

(Image credit: BBC)

Doctor Who’s first season ended with the Doctor bringing ‘death to death’ and returning the entire universe back to life after Sutekh’s grand plans were undone. That means plenty of potential (including worlds and enemies long thought dead), but there’s been no concrete info about what exactly season 2’s plot will consist of.

But there have been crumbs. In a talk at a recent BAFTA event (H/T Radio Times), showrunner Russell T Davies teased that one upcoming episode will be a "riot."

"There's one next year where I very specifically said, 'I want this film crossed with that thing,' and that's the best episode ever! Episode 6 next year, watch episode 6 next year – it's a riot. My God, it's a riot. It's hilarious."

And what of Ruby Sunday? "The story of that family hasn’t finished yet," Davies said of the Sunday family during an episode of Doctor Who: Unleashed. The first season reveals that Ruby Sunday’s mother is Louise Miller, a typically ordinary NHS worker.

Fans have since theorized that Ruby’s unseen dad, William, may have ties to future Prime Minister – and all-round evildoer – Roger ap Gwilliam, literally meaning ‘son of William’. What’s in a name, eh?

Speaking of theories, Mrs. Flood has sparked plenty of them – though we’re partial to the idea that she’s the God of Stories, especially since she’s been mimicking so many costumes from past companions. After the Toymaker, Sutekh, and Maestro, there may yet be one more of the pantheon still to emerge.

Mrs. Flood actor Anita Dobson told Radio Times that we’ll "find out a lot about her" next year. On the aforementioned episode of Unleashed, Davies also promised "astonishing reveals."

So answers, it seems, are coming. Alongside that, expect the whizzing adventures across history to continue. Where might the Doctor end up next? Only time will tell...


For more, check out our guide to 2024's biggest new TV shows.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

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