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As the future of Doctor Who remains uncertain and we prepare to wait for what could be years for a new Doctor to be announced, past star Peter Capaldi has said he thinks there have been too many regenerations, and it's taking the magic out of the show.
"To be perfectly honest, I think it's there are too many regenerations," said Capaldi on the 100 Questions with Tom Simons podcast. "I love all the doctors, but I've lost count of how many of them there are. So the weight of this kind of regeneration is diminished."
The star added, "When I grew up, the first time it happened, it was mysterious and strange. But [the regeneration] holds the mystery of the show." Capaldi feels as though the audience knowing that the central character will die is what attracts viewers. "It's a very, very powerful death motif, and that's what lies in the magic of the show."
When we look at how quickly the series passes from Doctor to Doctor, actors only spend about 3 years in the role. The longest serving Doctor was the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, from 1974 to 1981. Capaldi played the Twelfth Doctor from 2014 to 2017, taking over the role from Matt Smith.
"The doctors had been good-looking lads. They've been sort of boyband doctors. And suddenly this haggard face was there and that was the whole scene," recalls Capaldi. The star added that after filming the regeneration scene, "Matt, who was very emotional, came backstage and gave me a big hug and took the watch off and gave it to me, said 'That's for you. This is yours now. You're the doctor."
After Capaldi came the first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, from 2018 to 2022 before David Tennant returned for a short stint and regenerated into The Fifteenth Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa. However, after just two seasons, Gatwa exited the show. Just this month, to the shock of the whole Whoniverse, showrunner Russell T. Davies also left the series, and the BBC cancelled the 2026 Christmas special in the process.
As of now, the future of the sci-fi series is hanging in the balance. Industry insiders have predicted that Doctor Who could be off air for 5 years. But the important thing to remember is that the show itself hasn't been canceled.
For more, read our feature on why Doctor Who's Christmas cancellation is a good thing, and keep up with new TV shows heading your way in 2026 and beyond.
