Indira Varma joins the cast of Doctor Who

Indira Varma in Game of Thrones
(Image credit: HBO)

Indira Varma has joined the cast of Doctor Who.

Varma will play the Duchess alongside the recently announced Jinx Monsoon, the latter of whom was cast in a mysterious unnamed role.

"I’m thrilled to be in Doctor Who and particularly excited to be crossing cosmic paths with Ncuti, as the Doctor, and look forward to creating interplanetary mischief with him," Varma said. "I loved playing Suzie Costello for Russell T Davies in Torchwood so am thrilled to be entering this world again."

Varma recently joined the cast of Dune: The Sisterhood as Empress Natalya, and is set to voice Bride of Frankenstein in James Gunn's Creature Commandos. She also played Tala Durith in Obi-Wan Kenobi. The actor is set to appear next in Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One.

Doctor Who is set to return in November 2023 with three special episodes that feature David Tennant making a surprise appearance in the thirteenth series as the Fourteenth Doctor after Jodi Whitaker's Doctor regeneration. These special episodes coincide with the show's 60th anniversary. Ncuti Gatwa’s first episode as the Fifteenth Doctor will then air over the festive period. 

Doctor Who will premiere exclusively on the BBC for the UK and Ireland, but Disney Plus will be the new exclusive home for new seasons of Doctor Who across the pond and around the world. The move marks the beginning of a new collaboration between BBC and Disney Branded Television.

For more, check out our list of the best new shows coming your way in 2023 and beyond, or, check out our list of the best TV shows of all time.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.