One of the defining traits of the series Doctor Who is that the lead actor who plays the titular character changes. There have been 12 actors who have played the Doctor, with the 12th one being Peter Capaldi.
Now, the 13th Doctor has been announced and she’ll be a woman!
BBC announced that Jodie Whittaker will be playing the Doctor, becoming the first woman to portray the role since it debuted in 1963.
According to new head writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall, “I always knew I wanted the Thirteenth Doctor to be a woman and we’re thrilled to have secured our number one choice. Her audition for The Doctor simply blew us all away. Jodie is an in-demand, funny, inspiring, super-smart force of nature and will bring loads of wit, strength, and warmth to the role. The Thirteenth Doctor is on her way.”
Whittaker is an English actress who has played roles in Black Mirror, Attack the Block, and Broadchurch. She will take on the role of the Doctor this December.
The casting drew mixed reactions from the internet, but the Merriam Webster Dictionary shut down trolls who couldn’t accept the female casting with one tweet:
‘Doctor’ has no gender in English.
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) July 17, 2017
Doctor Who is a British TV show that followed a Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey called the Doctor, who travels through time in a blue police box called the TARDIS and saves people. It began airing in 1963 and has become a pop culture phenomenon.
Are you excited for this? Share your thoughts below!
Follow When in Manila Koji for more stories like this!
