There were some unhappy campers in the Doctor Who fandom when rumors came out saying Millie Gibson was leaving the series after one season. I was one of them because she was great in the Christmas special and I loved her chemistry with the new Doctor. So, it was a relief when we found out those rumors were false. Gibson will indeed be alongside Ncuti Gatwa and their new co-star Varada Sethu for a second season, and Russell T. Davies recently explained why it took so long for him to refute the initial claims that Ruby Sunday wouldn't be back.
The Doctor Who showrunner spoke to SFX Magazine about the confusion regarding Gibson, and he had a solid reason why he stayed silent about it initially. Here's what he had to say about the rumor and why addressing these types of things immediately doesn't always work (via GamesRadar):
It's very unfortunate that these things make the papers. We're in a very difficult position, because you can't answer rumor, you can't speak to rumor, we can't try and pin it down because the internet will just run away and will either misinterpret or will decide that the Princess of Wales has been replaced by four cats in a wig. So, it's that you cannot begin to answer this sort of stuff. But you will see the love that we have for Millie and the extraordinary stories that Ruby's about to go on over the next two years. I guarantee you that.
The showrunner wanted to make sure he could speak at length about the rumor before making a statement. Now that he can talk more about what's in store for Doctor Who Season 14, he can tease more about Ruby's connection to The Doctor and spend less time refuting some wild rumors the internet cooked up because of what he might've said initially. As someone whose job partly entails speculation based on minimal information doled out by showrunners, I get it. Sometimes, it's best to just wait for more information or for when the episodes are available with a Disney+ subscription.
I'd imagine this two-year journey with Ruby Sunday will reveal who dropped her at the doorstep of the church where she was found, or maybe that reveal will only be the beginning of a much larger mystery. One can never be too sure when the questions end and answers begin in Doctor Who, but that's always where the most fun happens.
Fortunately, we don't have to wait too much longer for new episodes to premiere on the 2024 TV schedule, as Doctor Who Season 14 is launching on May 14. The first trailer was filled with awesome moments set to the wonderful music of David Bowie. Plus, now that we don't have to worry about it being Ruby Sunday's final season, I'm even more thrilled about what is on the way.
Even when I did think she was leaving, it was hard not to get amped up about the upcoming episodes after hearing the rumors about who Jinkx Monsoon is playing. Wait, should I believe those rumors anymore now that we know everything about Millie Gibson's short tenure on the show has been debunked? Perhaps it's just wise to take everything with a grain of salt until it's shown on screen and remember that all rumors are just that until proven otherwise.
Doctor Who returns to Disney+ with new episodes this May, and many here at CinemaBlend are thrilled about that. Hopefully, it is just as exciting as what we've seen in this new era thus far, and we get some answers about The Doctor's true origin and where they actually come from.
