Speculations about Jodie Whittaker leaving Doctor Who surfaced after the recent release of the cover of the Doctor Who Annual 2022. For the first time in the show’s history, the cover does not feature the current Doctor. For months now, there have been rumors that Jodie Whittaker will be leaving the TARDIS as the 13th Doctor after the upcoming series, which is currently filming.
The artwork has a graphic drawing of the TARDIS (a time machine and spacecraft that the Doctor uses to travel through time and space) instead of actress Jodie Whittaker, who has appeared on the main image for the last three annuals.
Sources told The Mirror that Whittaker will appear in two specials next year before regenerating into the 14th Doctor.
“Every Doctor Who Annual since 1964 has featured the current Doctor, so this is a big departure for them. It’s surely no coincidence that it’s happened just as she’s on the way out.”
Another insider said,
“As ever, bosses are staying tight-lipped about what they have planned, but with filming still ongoing, they clearly have plans for episodes to be playing out much later into 2022 – so there’s still more to come for Jodie’s Doctor.”
The upcoming season, which started filming in November, was cut to eight episodes from ten because of Covid restrictions slowing the production down.
She will appear in all eight from the autumn, with her regeneration now expected to take place in a special to be screened next year.
Seasons 11 and 12 of Doctor Who were both ten episodes each. If Jodie Whittaker appears in the rumored two specials, it would round off her contract of 3 seasons in total.
In January, it was reported that Jodie had plans to quit and that she intended to keep to the traditional “Three-Season Rule” proposed by Second Doctor actor Patrick Troughton, and followed by numerous other Doctors, including her predecessors Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi.
Penguin Random House, who publish the annual, told The Sun,
“We made the decision some time ago to experiment with a non-character led illustrated cover. Jodie is, of course, featured throughout the book itself.”
So far, there has been no news on who could take over from Jodie as the 14th Doctor when the first female Doctor leaves the BBC series.
Doctor Who last aired a one-off festive special at Christmas with a new series set to air on BBC One in late 2021.
About Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British sci-fi TV program produced by the BBC since 1963. The series aired from 1963-89 and was then again revived in 2005.
The program depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called “The Doctor,” an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the universe in a time-traveling spaceship called the TARDIS. With various companions, the Doctor combats foes, saves civilizations, and helps people in need.
Over the years, many actors like Jodie Whittaker, William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Tom Baker, and Peter Davidson have played the Doctor. Hartnell was the first actor to be cast as Doctor Who.
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