Michelle Gomez confirms return as Missy to Doctor Who!

Michelle Gomez has confirmed that she will return to Doctor Who, reprising the role of Missy for the science fiction programme’s tenth season.

Gomez revealed the news at MegaCon in Orlando this weekend, however there isn’t yet an official statement from the BBC.

Gomez first appeared as Missy during the eighth season of the Doctor Who revival; she also reprised this role during the ninth season last year, in the opening two parter The Magician’s Apprentice & The Witch’s Familiar. The end of the story saw Missy surrounded by Daleks, facing imminent death - of course, there’s no doubt that she escaped this predicament in her own inimitable style.

The character Missy has been met to much controversy, given that she was a female incarnation of the previously male Time Lord the Master. Certain fans rejected the idea that an alien who could entirely change their appearance to escape death would also be capable of changing their gender. Interestingly, the character of the Master was in fact originally conceived of as a woman by Barry Letts during the 1970s; it was only during further development of the character that the decision was made for the Master to be a man.

Image copyright Doctor Who Magazine

The tenth season of Doctor Who is set to be Steven Moffat’s last, before handing the reins over to Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall, who will take over for the eleventh season. During 2016, there will be one Doctor Who Christmas Special, with an interim companion, before the tenth season begins in 2017. Some unsubstantiated rumours suggest that John Barrowman may reprise his role as Captain Jack Harkness as the guest companion of this Chrismtas special; there is, currently, little evidence to confirm this.

The tenth season will introduce Pearl Mackie as new companion Bill. It was recently confirmed by Steven Moffat that she would be from the 21st Century, rather than the 1980s origin her clothing seemed to indicate. Moffat also stated that during casting for the new companion, the production team was explicitly looking for a person of colour to fill the role, and did not audition any white performers; as ever, Moffat’s commitment to diversity is both impressive and commendable.

2016 will also see new Doctor Who spinoff Class airing on BBC Three; created by popular YA author Patrick Ness, the series will star Katherine Kelly (The Night Manager, Happy Valley) as well as introducing a new cast of young actors, as well as featuring a guest appearance from Peter Capaldi himself.

It is, ultimately, a good time to be a Doctor Who fan!

Related:

Doctor Who - ‘Class’ Spinoff Details Revealed!

Ten Years of the Tenth Doctor Reviews

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