British actor Ncuti Gatwa, famous for his role in Sex Education, becomes the first openly queer Black actor to take on the role of the fifteenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who. Stepping into the iconic role of a two-hearted Time Lord who travels throughout space and time, Gatwa’s casting surprisingly sparked controversies.
Habituated to see straight white men playing the role of Doctor Who, fans slammed Ncuti Gatwa’s casting choice, following his appearance in December 2023. But the actor, alongside showrunner and writer Russell T Davies, clapped back at netizens with facts and logic, proving the past incarnations of the Doctor weren’t entirely straight.
Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who Casting and Controversies
Following his iconic role in the Netflix original Sex Education, Ncuti Gatwa debuted as the 15th incarnation of the Doctor during the climactic finale of Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary special. Breaking away from David Tennant’s 14th incarnation to confront the malevolent Toymaker (Neil Patrick Harris), Gatwa became the first openly queer Black actor to take on the role.
The landmark episode showcased Ncuti Gatwa in a striking costume wearing nothing but a dress shirt and a pair of tighty-whities, which hinted at the exciting adventures to come. Since the episode showcased David Tennant’s Doctor literally splitting in half, bringing Gatwa’s Doctor into the world alongside him, the latter was therefore left with the bizarre attire.
Meanwhile, although Ncuti Gatwa was excited about his casting in Doctor Who, alongside David Tennant (especially since he grew up watching the actor play the part from 2005 to 2010), fans weren’t quite happy with the decision. Sparking controversies for starring a queer Black actor in the role that has always been played by straight white men, netizens expressed their disappointment.
Russell T Davies Declares Doctor Who Wasn’t Entirely Straight
Despite fans’ being upset with the casting choice, Ncuti Gatwa and the showrunner and writer Russell T Davies appear to be ahead of the haters and their negativity. Helming the project, as Gatwa stars as the unconventional character in Doctor Who, Davies tries to speak logic via Variety, into the minds of the people who are deliberately slamming the show.
“Do you know what? It makes perfect sense to me. I feel like anyone that has a problem with someone who’s not a straight white man playing this character, you’re not really, truly a fan of the show. You’ve not been watching! Because the show is about regeneration, and the Doctor is an alien — why would they only choose to be this sort of person?” Ncuti Gatwa said of his casting.
“They weren’t exactly the straightest men in the past. You’re talking about someone who does have a lightness and a joy about him that, to me, chimes with queer energy. It’s very rarely driving the story vehemently, but you will see moments exploring it. We’re not delivering a neutered Doctor.” Russell T Davies said in support of Gatwa’s logic.
The Doctor’s sexuality has certainly never been labeled or questioned before. But now that Ncuti Gatwa starred in the show and sparked controversies, writer Russell T Davies backed his revolutionary casting as the next Doctor, with shocking revelations about the character’s sexuality.
Doctor Who is available on Max.
