Beloved Time Lord Actor Says He Will Never Return To Doctor Who Again

Peter Capaldi says he will never return to Doctor Who.

By Matthew Creith | Published

The long-running BBC British science fiction television series Doctor Who is notorious for the many actors who have embodied the titular character, along with the various companions, enemies, and others who have surrounded the infamous Doctor. One of those actors who was featured as part of Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi, has recently come out in saying that he will not return to the series, according to a report by Radio Times. In an exclusive update about the show and the possible return of actors who have been on the series since its inception that will show new episodes on Disney+, Capaldi confirms that he doesn’t intend to ever go back, stating definitely in an interview that “I’ve done my time.”

As Doctor Who prepares for new episodes to stream on Disney+ in the United States next year, actor Peter Capaldi doesn’t want to be part of any future installments of the show, it seems. Jodie Whittaker recently ended her run as the 13th incarnation of the famous character of the Doctor, and she will soon be replaced by Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa when the series returns in 2023. David Tennant, who played the 10th version of the Doctor on Doctor Who recently confirmed that he will reprise his role leading up to Gatwa’s introduction to the television show next year, sparking renewed interest in a series that has been on television since 1963.

peter capaldi doctor who

When he starred on Doctor Who beginning in 2014, Peter Capaldi became the 12th Doctor to lead the series as he was supposedly a longtime fan of the show, and was eager to take on the role from departing British actor Matt Smith. Smith went on to costar on The Crown alongside Claire Foy for Netflix, and Capaldi played the Doctor until 2017, with Jodie Whittaker coming aboard after Capaldi’s departure to become the first woman to ever personify the part.

Since then, Capaldi has largely stayed out of Whittaker’s spotlight and chose not to come back to the series as Tenant has, vowing to leave his time on Doctor Who where it is and allowing other actors to shine on the series without his presence.

Prior to taking on Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi was a staple in British acting circles, appearing in a number of television projects and movies like Dangerous Liaisons, Local Hero, Prime Suspect, Midsomer Murders, The Devil’s Whore, as well as an infamous role as spin doctor Malcolm Tucker in the BBC sitcom The Thick of It. He won the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film in 1995 for writing and directing the comedy Franz Kafka’s It’s a Wonderful Life before taking on Doctor Who years later, signaling a change in pace from directing back to acting.

Since his time on Doctor Who, Peter Capaldi has seen his star rise on a global scale as part of the DC Extended Universe, playing the supervillain The Thinker in The Suicide Squad, as well as lending his voice acting talents to family films like Paddington and its sequel Paddington 2.