The following article contains major spoilers for "The Power of the Doctor," Doctor Who's third and final 2022 special, which aired Oct. 23 on BBC One.
Actor David Tennant shocked and amazed everyone with his surprise Doctor Who "The Power of the Doctor" appearance, though even he was nervous about making it work.
Per Deadline, Tennant spoke with BBC's Today about "The Power of the Doctor's" final twist, in which Jodie Whittaker's Doctor regenerated into the face of the fan-favorite Tenth Doctor, rather than future Doctor Ncuti Gatwa. On reprising his role in such an unorthodox manner, Tennant revealed he was "worried it would be difficult to get in the groove again but it has been straightforward." He also assured fans that "we've managed to keep the essence of the show and the world now has a very exciting moment to look forward to. Doctor Who was a wonderful time in my life and it runs through me like a stick of rock so to be part of that show, go on that journey and return to it when I thought it was a memory has been an absolute present."
In a statement made after "The Power of the Doctor" aired, returning showrunner Russell T Davies confirmed Tennant and Gatwa's official titles as the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctors within regeneration chronology. "If you thought the appearance of David Tennant was a shock, we've got plenty more surprises on the way," he wrote, teasing, "The path to Ncuti's Fifteenth Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger and fun!" This path was further alluded to during the Doctor Who 2023 promo, previewing Tennant, returning companion Donna Noble, and Neil Patrick Harris' mysterious villain before finally revealing the first look at Gatwa's Doctor.
Whovians Theories Confirmed
Since set photos for Doctor Who's 60th Anniversary special leaked earlier this year, some Doctor Who fans correctly theorized that Tennant would be taking Whittaker's place as the next Doctor. This reveal also marks Tennant's third portrayal of a Doctor following the Meta-Crisis Doctor in Series 4's "Journey's End," whom the Tenth Doctor unwittingly created after siphoning regeneration energy into his formally severed hand to avoid dying. Alongside Tennant and Catherine Tate, the special will mark the late Bernard Cribbins' final appearance as Donna's grandfather Wilfred Mott, who debuted in the 2007 Doctor Who Christmas special "Voyage of the Damned."
Tennant was not the only Doctor Who star to return in "The Power of the Doctor." Alongside Sophie Aldred and Janet Fielding's Ace and Tegan Jovanka, the episode featured cameos from former Doctors Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy, Paul McGann, and David Bradley, as well as Jo Martin's Fugitive Doctor. The episode also concluded with a gathering of multiple classic Doctor companions, including Bonnie Langford, Katy Manning, and William Russell.
New episodes of Doctor Who will premiere on the BBC in November 2023.
Source: Deadline