The future face of Doctor Who has been the subject of rampant speculation ahead of Season 13, as fans around the world wonder if it will be the final season for the first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker. This type of speculation always leads to the question of who will be next, and it turns out series vet John Barrowman has a choice lined up if the BBC series is in the market.
Barrowman recently spoke to Express, and revealed that he's been watching a series with some Doctor Who ties, It's A Sin. In his praise of the show, Barrowman threw in a suggestion that lead actor Olly Alexander is phenomenal in the series, and he'd make a great Doctor. Here's how Barrowman put it:
It’s a Sin is, there you go, another pandemic that we went through and that’s why I say get the vaccine. We as gay men and women have been through a pandemic already. 37 million people worldwide have died from HIV and AIDs, and you know, get the vaccine. Anyway, however, Olly would be amazing, he’s quirky, he’s fun, he’s a lovely actor and I think he would make a wonderful Doctor.
30-year-old Olly Alexander has been working steadily in film and television since 2008, so he's not exactly a new face to acting. His credentials also fall in line with the type of actor modern Doctor Who pursues for the role, which is to say he's a European actor without a ton of mainstream exposure to an American audience. I have to say John Barrowman may be onto something here, especially if the show is tasked with finding a buzz-worthy actor in the near future to replace Jodie Whittaker.
One would imagine it wouldn't be hard for Chris Chibnall to get an audience with Olly Alexander, given It's A Sin's ties to former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies. Davies is the showrunner of the new series set to premiere in the United States on HBO Max beginning February 18.
While I'm open to the idea of Olly Alexander playing The Doctor, I can't help but consider the can of worms Doctor Who might open by immediately returning to a male Doctor after having its first female. There will almost certainly be some that would rather the series continue its trend of female Doctors and others who believe the return to male Doctors is an admission the first female Doctor was a mistake. I'm not sure if Chris Chibnall or Doctor Who's deciders really care about fan opinions for that decision, but the next casting of The Doctor stands a good chance of either unifying or further dividing the fandom since Chibnall's start on the show.
Olly Alexander is a perfect choice in the eyes of John Barrowman, but I am curious as to what other Doctor Who fans think. Share all thoughts in the comments below, and for more on the series, read up on some of the controversies the franchise has had in the past here.
