Yahoo News 15 official contenders to be the next Doctor Who
With regeneration energy already starting to hum within Peter Capaldi, the bookies over at William Hill have announced their official odds for who's going to replace him. As ever, there are some strong contenders in the mix, as well as some, um, "interesting" options.
We're going to start with the most likely, and work our way down to the maddest men in William Hill's box.
1. Ben Whishaw – odds 5/1
With the prerequisite mix of eccentricity, sensitivity, and inner steel, Whishaw would be the perfect pick for the next Doctor. Which is probably the reason his name is frequently in the mix when the TARDIS door swings open for new blood.
Because he's been mentioned before, we've actually got a comment on the role from him – but it's not great news for Whishippers.
"It's not going to be me. But I don't mind – I don't think you can be Q and Doctor Who. It would be a bit wrong."
But with Bond rumoured for another reboot, maybe it's not too late to knit him a scarf...
2. Rory Kinnear – odds 6/1
More bad news for William Hill here. Whishaw's Bond costar Rory Kinnear has also been previously linked with the role. And has even more firmly stated he doesn't want to do it.
"I haven't been and I am totally certain that I will not be asked to be the next Doctor Who. If I was an actor who was really longing to play Doctor Who, then this would be torturous, but it's a programme I've never watched, so I don't even really know what it is."
The idea of die-hard Whovian / new showrunner Chris Chibnall inviting someone who's never seen the show into the TARDIS is as unlikely as Harry Potter deciding to swap his wand for a sonic screwdriver, so Kinnear's out as far as we're concerned.
3. Ben Daniels – odds 8/1
Now we're talking. Ben Daniels came the closest of anyone on this list to being the next Doctor – he was on the shortlist to replace Matt Smith, and he told us all about it.
"I was approached and asked if it was something I'd be interested in doing," Daniels told Digital Spy. "Apparently, usually when it's announced that the [old] Doctor is leaving, the new Doctor's already firmly in place. But a BBC email had apparently been leaked, talking about Matt Smith's departure or something, so they had to announce it officially much sooner than they'd have liked.
"I don't know whether my name was also on that e-mail as was stated in lots of those rumours, but I was one of the names on one of their many lists they had as a possible replacement.
"So I was asked, and when I eventually managed to peel myself off the ceiling, I said, 'Yeah, of course it'd be something I'd be interested in doing."
Sadly for Ben, he didn't get the gig (you can read more about what happened here), but maybe it'll be lucky number 13?
4. Rupert Grint – odds 8/1
Yeah, no.
We know, we know – with viewing figures plummeting during Capaldi's divisive tenure, the Beeb are probably going to be looking for a "name" to rescue their ratings. Someone young, cool, and with a built-in fanbase, ideally. Rupert Grint fits the bill, but does heading up another fantasy franchise appear on Grint's wishlist? Even if he is a Who geek, his schedule would be the biggest issue here – he's already part of not one, but two TV series (Sick Note and Snatch).
5. Jason Flemyng – odds 8/1
Edgy actor, with eccentric energy, who's also already a fan – why's Flemyng so far down William Hill's list?
Could be because he's probably just outside of the target age-range. At 47, he definitely wouldn't be the oldest Doctor (that'll be a tie between William Hartnell and Capaldi, both 55 when they won the role), but we predict the Beeb will go much lower for the next one. Possibly not as low as Matt Smith, but we'd gamble on it being someone in the 27 – 38 bracket.
Still, he's said nice things about the show.
"The Doctor is a great role. They've never had a bad Doctor," Flemyng said.
"In the modern Doctor Who, they've never cast an okay actor. Every single time, the actor's been sublime and talented, and that, plus the fact it's a good role, has turned Doctor Who into a great character."
6. David Harewood – odds 12/1
We're actually super surprised how far David Harewood is down William Hill's list, as of all the contenders he feels the most likely.
Last year, Stephen Moffat confirmed that the part had been offered to a black actor. "Two non-white leads in Doctor Who would be amazing. In fact, a lot of people would barely notice… I certainly don't think there's ever been a problem with making the Doctor black, which is why it should happen one day. I mean, we've tried. The part has been offered to a black actor. But for various reasons, it didn't work out."
Harewood was rumoured to be that actor, but nothing was officially confirmed.
Still, there's another reason to be hopeful – in 2014, new Who showrunner Chibnall and actor David Harewood joined together to sign an open letter calling for "a ring-fenced pot of money" for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) programmes. So they're mates.
Like Capaldi, he's appeared on Who before – playing Joshua Naismith in The End of Time.
We're going to go out on a limb and name Harewood as most likely for the part in our book.
7. Alexander Vlahos – odds 16/1
We're big fans of Versailles star Vlahos in Digital Spy Towers and, with Vlahos himself a big fan of Doctor Who, we'd love to see him get the part.
He told us back in August last year that he's "itching" to play the Doctor, and he's already commented on Capaldi's departure by resuming his campaign to get the TARDIS keys on Twitter.
Time to dust off that hashtag... https://t.co/r4GItr1mKk
- Alexander Vlahos (@vlavla) January 30, 2017
One thing against his odds – there's a good chance the BBC has already cast the part (they usually only announce the departure of the current Doctor when the future Doctor is already locked), which means the real Doctor has signed a very long non-disclosure-agreement, and is probably not trying to trend on Twitter. Sorry Alex, we still think you're awesome.
8. Matt Smith – odds 16/1
We don't care if it's never happened before, the Doctor can regenerate into previous forms – Tom Baker said so, so it's canon. And who did he say it to? Matt Smith, who's gone on record to state that leaving the show is one of his "great regrets."
It would certainly create headlines, and probably win lost viewers back – but is Smith too busy with The Crown?
9. Tom Hiddleston – odds 20/1
Nope. No, no, no, no, no. Tom Hiddleston will never be the Doctor.
He's too Loki for a non-Marvel franchise, and too busy for any telly projects that aren't a mini-series. NEXT.
10. David Tennant – odds 20/1
Similar logic to the Matt Smith entry, in that it's technically possible. This one has an added layer of believability, in that Chris Chibnall worked with him on Broadchurch. But we're not sure if Tennant has the same level of regret as Smith has – his run was perfect, with one of the best farewells in Who history. Would he really go back?
11. Idris Elba – odds 20/1
If Chibnall really is dedicated to bringing fans their first black Doctor, Elba would be a huge get – brilliant in The Wire, Luther and more – he's so well-respected he's also in the running to be the next James Bond.
Can he do both? We'd argue not. He's also probably keen to expand a movie career that saw him receive multiple award nominations for the astonishing Beasts Of No Nation.
Put him on the "We wish" list.
12. Christopher Eccleston – odds 33/1
Whovians will know Eccleston's troubled relationship with the Who brand – he might have been the man to bring it back in style, but some conflicts with the top brass caused him to quit. He went through a period of badmouthing the experience in the press, but has since had a change of heart.
"There's always regret [to not continue] when you play a role like that because…. I watched it back and I thought 'Okay, don't do this, do that, calibrate the performance.'"
He continued: "It was kind of tragic for me that I didn't play him for longer. He's a beautiful character. I have a great deal of professional pride and, had I done a second season, there would've been a marked improvement in my performance."
It still won't be him, mind you.
13. Eddie Redmayne – odds 33/1
Look, just because Redmayne wears a big scarf and a nice coat and climbs into a suitcase that's a big as the TARDIS in Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them, does not mean that he'll be up for playing the Doctor. If anything, it means he'll be less likely to. Please don't waste your money on this one.
14. Daniel Craig – odds 33/1
Craig struggles with the fan/press pressure of being Bond. Do you REALLY think he'll be up for being the grumpiest Bond since the last one? NEXT.
And if you're wondering why he's got his top off in the pic when all the other contenders are looking a bit more Doctor-y, well… It's a popular shot, what can we say?
15. Daniel Radcliffe – odds 33/1
Daniel Radcliffe has forged a fascinating career since hanging up Harry Potter's specs. He generally goes for interesting, indie movies that'll stretch him.
Not gonna happen.
One last thought…
It's not our place to tell the BBC who to hire. Is it? Maybe it is. We're going to do it anyway. Our top tip, who the bookies haven't offered odds on yet, is Sacha Dhawan. He's young, good-looking, friends with Who writer Mark Gatiss, and has sort-of appeared in Doctor Who before – he played the show's first director Waris Hussein in the making-of drama 'An Adventure in Space and Time'. Just throwing it out there.
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