Doctor Who Alum Karen Gillan Weighs in on Ncuti Gatwa Casting

Ncuti Gatwa is set to be the 15th Doctor in Doctor Who, officially taking over as the Doctor in the upcoming 14th season of the iconic series and now series alum Karen Gillan is opening up about how she feels about the casting, revealing that she's excited and that the casting — along with that of Millie Gibson as the new companion, Ruby Sunday — will inject a "new lease of life" in the series. She also had praise for Gatwa as an actor and called the situation "a really good piece of casting".

"My first reaction to both of them being cast was excitement," Gillan told RadioTimes. "I sort of feel like they're going to inject a whole new lease on life — like it really got my attention. When I saw both of them, I was like, 'OK, I'm ready to jump into this now.'"

She added, "And it's just exciting, and it's new, and he's clearly brilliant because I've seen him in other things. So, I think it's a really good piece of casting."

Gillan, who will next appear as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 which opens in theaters this week, previously played Amy Pond, the Eleventh Doctor's companion, on the series between 2010 and 2012. There have been rumors that she might reprise her role for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary specials but said that she doesn't know.

"" It's always nice when people appreciate anything that you've done," Gillan said. "But no, it's cool to see that people are still intrigued by Amy Pond and whether she could return. Maybe, maybe not — I don't know."

When will Doctor Who return?

Doctor Who Season 14 will be the first new season of Doctor Who, following the anniversary specials, to stream globally on Disney+ as part of a new deal between Disney Branded Television and the BBC. Just days after Whittaker's farewell episode, the BBC and Disney announced a plan to "transform Doctor Who into a global franchise for UK audiences and the rest of the world." Rumor has it that Disney has some creative control over the franchise and wants to give Doctor Who a "Hollywood makeover."

"I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK," returning showrunner Russell T. Davies said in a press release. Davies previously expressed his belief that Doctor Who should be a franchise with multiple shows similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He achieved a measure of this during his original run as Doctor Who showrunner, reviving the core Doctor Who series and launching spinoffs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

Doctor Who returns in 2023 for its 60th-anniversary specials ahead of 2024's Season 14.