Another Doctor Who Entry (Casting Announcements and Filming)

[fh14]

So I feel like in a few days this entry may be very outdated, which tbh is a very exciting feeling. I totally understand why Chris Chibnall was so adverse to releasing casting info or filming in public after the number of high profile leaks that happened during Moffat's tenure, but god its nice to see so much buzz about Doctor Who and have some idea of where it's going in the future.

So to review:

• Probably the least exciting "announcement" to some, but something that got me really excited was confirmation from RTD that the upcoming Centenary Special a.k.a. the Thirteenth Doctor's final story would be 90 minutes long. I was concerned with the amount of story and characters promoted in the trailer but this runtime definitely makes me feel more confident, especially after so many of the issues with "The Legend of the Sea Devils", IMO, were due to it's short runtime.
• Ncuti Gatwa as the Fourteenth Doctor! I haven't watched Sex Education but I've been impressed with his screen presence in clips I've seen over the past few years, and the fact that both he and RTD seem so energized for his tenure on the show. Their excitement is making me even more excited! That's the vibe I want in Doctor Who!
• Many happy returns: David Tennant, Catherine Tate, Bernard Cribbins, and Jacqueline King returning is something I didn't know I needed until it happened and I saw them out on location filming. Granted I would've been more shocked if Tennant hadn't returned, but Tate coming back was a rumor I never put any stock in so it actually happening has me over the moon!
• I haven't watched Heartstopper, but Yasmin Finney joining as a major trans character on the show feels right for 2023, and the details that have been gleaned about her role from the location shoot have me even more excited to see where they'll go with her character, and if she'll stick around once we go into the Fourteenth Doctor era proper.

I'm expecting some further casting announcements, so in the interest of preserving my spicy predictions, here are my tierlist of which Doctors I think are likely (or unlikely) to come back for the 60th Anniversary.

All but certain:

• The Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) - If he doesn't come back I'd be genuinely stunned.

Likely:

• The Fourteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) - I'm sure he'll show up at least by the end, but I don't think it's a sure thing he'll be in the bulk of the anniversary itself.

Toss-Up:

• The Twelfth Doctor (Peter Capaldi) - Just a week ago I'd have had him at unlikely, but recent chatter have made me somewhat more hopeful that he'd be willing to return in some capacity
• The First Doctor (David Bradley), The Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison), The Sixth Doctor (Colin Baker), The Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), and the Eighth Doctor (Paul McGann) - I feel like any of them would be game to return, but I think it ultimately comes down to if RTD actually wants to utilize them.
• The Fugitive Doctor (Jo Martin) - I think this is my delusion talking, because realistically I don't see RTD touching anything to do with the timeless child, but if he did it would be the Fugitive Doctor because Martin is sublime in the role and everyone knows it.

Unlikely:

• The Thirteenth Doctor (Jodie Whittaker) - She's pregnant, and I also don't know if she or the production team would want to undercut her exit by having her immediately show up again. However, I think they could utilize footage from the Centenary for the regeneration if nothing else.
• The Fourth Doctor (Tom Baker) - I feel like after what happened with the fiftieth, Tom would be wary about coming back. I know he loves the role though so I can't rule it out completely.
• The Second Doctor, The Third Doctor, and The War Doctor (Recast) - Look there's a long precedent for recasting the First Doctor, but I do not think it's likely they'd do it with any of the others. Like I can't rule it out completely but I seriously don't think it'll happen.

Never gonna happen:

• The Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) - Listen, I know he's doing Doctor Who stuff again, but there's too much bad blood between him and RTD. There's no way.

I'd do the same for the companions but after Donna I can't even begin to guess. Like I feel like almost anyone could come back. This is an exciting time to be a fan of Doctor Who!