Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor Who Replacement Coming From Black Mirror?

Jodie Whittaker might have a successor to Doctor Who.

By Drew Dietsch | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

jodie whittaker

Jodie Whittaker has been rumored to be stepping down from her lead role in the hit sci-fi series Doctor Who after this newest season comes to a close. Theories are abounding that we will see a new actor take over as the Doctor when the Christmas/New Year’s special airs later this year. We have heard speculation about one or two actors in the past, but a new piece of info has yet another thespian in the running for the iconic series. And this one has some added reasons for sounding more plausible than any of the other casting rumors that have cropped up over the last year.

We Got This Covered is reporting that Jodie Whittaker might be replaced as the Doctor by Georgina Campbell. The actress will be instantly recognizable from her roles in genre television series like Black Mirror, Krypton, and His Dark Materials. Her performance in the Black Mirror episode “Hang the DJ” will probably be the thing that most American audiences will immediately recognize her from. However, the reason she might have a more solid foundation for taking over the role than other rumored actors has to do with her work on the British series Broadchurch. That show was run by Chris Chibnall, the current showrunner for Doctor Who. Campbell’s connection to that show and former working relationship with Chibnall might be why she has a leg up on any other possible successors.

georgina campbell

It should be said that Jodie Whittaker leaving Doctor Who has not been confirmed by the BBC or any of the head creatives involved with the show. Rumblings have even cropped up that the show could be looking at cancellation. So, it could be that Jodie Whittaker ends up being the last person to play the Doctor for a long while if that is the route the series ends up having to take. But, it could be that her time with the role is simply coming to an end. All the Doctors that have played the role since David Tennant will have lasted as long as Whittaker’s run, so that is a big motivating factor as to why rumors of her tenure ending have begun to take root.

Jodie Whittaker has certainly had a tumultuous run on Doctor Who. Her status as the first woman to play the role has led to a fair amount of unnecessary comments and it has been a millstone around her incarnation of the classic character. Would Georgina Campbell being cast add to that discourse? Some might criticize the series for casting yet another woman in the role, but the part has been solely played by White male actors for nearly sixty years. Having female actors in the part is a welcome change to the homogeny of the series and Campbell is more than dramatically capable of bringing something unique to the storied history of the franchise’s lead character. We will have to wait and see if Jodie Whittaker is leaving the show soon and if Campbell is the one who ends up taking over the TARDIS in the future.