It is undeniable that Ncuti Gatwa is the perfect choice for The Fifteenth Doctor, and it seems like he thought so too as the star has revealed that securing his Doctor Who role was actually a product of his own manifestation.
That's right, it looks as though our new voyager of the universe used… well, the universe, to land his dream role. Soon after the last Doctor Who 60th anniversary special The Giggle aired, via his Instagram story, the star shared how he manifested becoming The Doctor way back in September 2021, followed by a text conversation with his agents that started it all.
Safe Space Who posted the screenshot on Twitter, with a text from the Sex Education star to his agents reading “I’d love to play either Willy Wonka or Doctor Who. Just in case either of you have a magic wand.” It seems that Gatwa spoke his dreams into existence as his agent messaged back “This is good to know… especially for Doctor Who,” possibly hinting they already had something up their sleeves.
However, according to showrunner Russell T Davies, luck doesn't have anything to do with Gatwa landing the role. In an interview with SFX Magazine, Davies remembers the audition, "Let me tell you, I’m used to sitting in rooms acting with people – I was absolutely blasted away," he says of Gatwa. "...Phil [Collinson, producer] was in the room, Andy Pryor [casting director] was in the room, and I was just saying the lines thinking 'I hope they’re getting this. I hope that camera’s getting this. I hope they can realize what’s happening. I hope they can see what’s happening in his eyes and what’s blazing out of him, because this is magic.'”
The Doctor Who baton will fully pass from The Fourteenth Doctor David Tennant to Gatwa as the 2023 Christmas special titled The Church on Ruby Road marks his first full episode. After that, the new series is expected to premiere in spring 2024, catapulting us into a whole new era of Who.
Doctor Who: The Church on Ruby Road premieres on BBC One, BBC iPlayer (UK), and Disney Plus (internationally) on December 25, 2023. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming your way in 2023 and beyond.
