It seems that every week the list of questions surrounding the Twelfth Doctor’s looming regeneration grows just a bit longer. While we know, for example, that Capaldi has already filmed his regeneration scene, the actor is nonetheless expected to remain with the show through this year’s Christmas special, which has yet to film. Rumors have also begun circulating that the special (and/or the regeneration itself) will tie into Capaldi’s surprise cameo in ‘The Day of The Doctor‘. Supposedly, this would also see an appearance by David Bradley, reprising (after a fashion) his performance from the fiftieth-anniversary docudrama ‘An Adventure in Space and Time’, in which he appeared as William Hartnell and by extension the First Doctor. And now we’re hearing that the guest list may be getting even longer.
Reports are now surfacing (primarily through an unsourced tweet picked up by Creators.co) that the BBC has booked Eddie’s Diner two days of filming this July. If that sounds familiar, it should. That diner last appeared in the show’s ninth season finale, in which it served as the location final (so far…) meeting between the Doctor and Clara before being revealed as the disguised form of the TARDIS Clara and the Doctor commandeered earlier in the episode. Assuming that the diner has in fact been booked for ‘Doctor Who’, the obvious implication is that Clara may be returning for the Christmas special. If Jenna Coleman does return to the role, it could be anything from a full-blown return (i.e. serving as a companion for the entire episode) or a small cameo, similar to the fleeting return Karen Gillan made during Matt Smith’s regeneration scene. It’s also worth noting that Clara appearing with her TARDIS in tow would also open the doors for a return appearance by ‘Game of Thrones’ star Maisie Williams as Ashildr/Me, an immortal last seen traveling alongside Clara.
The tenth season of ‘Doctor Who’ is currently underway, with new episodes airing on Saturday evenings. This season will see showrunner Steven Moffat and star Peter Capaldi bid their farewells to the program. In addition to Capaldi, the season features Pearl Mackie, Matt Lucas, and Michelle Gomez.
What do you think of the possibility of Clara Oswald returning to ‘Doctor Who’ this Christmas? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back with ScienceFiction.com for more ‘Doctor Who’ news as it becomes available!