New Doctor Who trailer teases an early regeneration but Moffat says Capaldi is "here till Christmas"

Time is nearly up for The Doctor. With Peter Capaldi leaving very soon, a new teaser wants you to at least believe that the Time Lord is going out with a bang as get the first glimpse of his possible regeneration – despite showrunner Steven Moffat suggesting he’s not regenerating until Christmas.

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The teaser, which you can see above, features the wild and wonderful worlds that The Doctor and new companion Bill will be visiting in the new season, from Mars and beyond, and even Missy dabbing - but it’s the final shot that will get everyone talking. Yes, that’s regeneration energy pulsing from The Doctor’s hand. Uh-oh.

It wouldn’t be the first time Doctor Who has pulled a regeneration bait-and-switch, and it certainly looks to be the case again.

Speaking to SFX Magazine, Steven Moffat has said that that “There’s a third of [Capaldi’s] run to go. He’s here till Christmas,” before adding, “But in this world you can’t keep secrets, where it is absolutely impossible to keep secrets, there was no point in trying. I’d far rather nobody knew about the regeneration."

Either Moffat is telling porkies or there’s going to be a regeneration fake-out, which won’t be good for my poor heart after seeing Nine, Ten and Eleven wave goodbye to the TARDIS.

Doctor Who season 10 debuts on BBC and BBC America April 15

Hear more from Peter Capaldi and read the latest on the new series of Doctor Who in the latest issue of SFX magazine, on sale now. Buy future issues here.

Image: BBC & SFX Magazine

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.