Pearl Mackie as Bill  Doctor Who TARDIS

It’s no secret that fans of ‘Doctor Who’ have had to endure something of a dry spell this year, as the series takes a year-long hiatus in preparation for producer Steven Moffat’s farewell season in 2017.

With Moffat’s confirmation that the introduction of Pearl Mackie’s Bill as the Doctor’s new companion will take place in the Series Ten premiere rather than the still-untitled 2016 Christmas special, there had been a good deal of speculation over how the companion role will be filled, particularly given the tendency of past specials to feature one-off companions. The question seemed to have been settled when we learned that Matt Lucas will be reprising his role as Nardole (last seen as a head attached to a robot body in last Christmas’s ‘The Husbands of River Song’) in both Series Ten and the Christmas special.

Of course, this being ‘Doctor Who’, things are seldom that simple. It was recently reported in the Radio Times that the Christmas special will also introduce a new character played by Canadian actor Just Chatwin. Citing unnamed sources, the site describes Chatwin’s character as a “superhero character”, and further reports that he will be “a brash character with an American accent – and in all likelihood a few dark interstellar secrets of one sort or another.” A source quoted in the article elaborates that the special will not feature a one-off companion in the typical sense, as that role is being filled by Nardole (who will, of course, be returning throughout the season), adding that Chatwin is “not a companion as such, but it’s not as if he doesn’t play a similar role.”

‘Doctor Who’ will return first with a special on Christmas day and then in 2017 for the premiere of Steven Moffat’s farewell season, which will culminate in next year’s Christmas special. In addition to returning star Peter Capaldi, the new season and specials will feature Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas and Justin Chatwin.

Be sure to check in with ScienceFiction.com for more news on the ‘Doctor Who’ Christmas special and the upcoming tenth season as they approach!