By now the news has sunk in that the 13th Doctor will be played by a very female Jodie Whittaker. Social media has been inundated with Whovian reactions and to say that this reveal has been very controversial amongst fans is putting it lightly. However, the newest Doctor has come out to assure fans that just because the gender of the centuries old Doctor may have changed, that doesn’t mean they should fear that the series has jumped the shark with casting her as the first female Doctor.
“I want to tell the fans not to be scared by my gender. Because this is a really exciting time, and Doctor Who represents everything that’s exciting about change. The fans have lived through so many changes, and this is only a new, different one, not a fearful one.”
Whittaker knows how monumental her casting is and states keeping the secret was “nerve-racking” but one that she is particularly proud of taking over:
“It feels completely overwhelming, as a feminist, as a woman, as an actor, as a human, as someone who wants to continually push themselves and challenge themselves, and not be boxed in by what you’re told you can and can’t be. It feels incredible.
To be asked to play the ultimate character, to get to play pretend in the truest form: this is why I wanted to be an actor in the first place. To be able to play someone who is literally reinvented on screen, with all the freedoms that brings: what an unbelievable opportunity. And added to that, to be the first woman in that role.”
As for any other clues to what to expect from this new Doctor, we will have to wait and see. Many details seem to still be in the works. For example, not even Whittaker knows what this newest Doctor’s signature costume style will be.
Love it or hate it, the announcement of a new Doctor will always bring supporters and detractors among the fandom. With each new Doctor, comes the same old adage: Just wait to see how the new Doctor is before you make a judgement. The series has undergone these changes for over 50 years and survived. The 11th Doctor stated it best in “The Time of the Doctor”:
A new Doctor. A new showrunner. A new era of ‘Doctor Who.’ Are you ready for what’s to come?