Doctor Who is about to welcome a ton of changes, from the return of showrunner Russell T. Davies to Ncuti Gatwa becoming our new Doctor, but arguably the biggest is the fact that the BBC has partnered with Disney to produce the next era of the British institution. Starting this year, the series will receive a hefty budget increase courtesy of Mickey Mouse and have an international streaming home on Disney Plus.
In the latest shocking casting news from season 14, which is busy shooting in the U.K., Doctor Who has made clear how much it’s embraced being part of the Disney family by hiring a bonafide Disney icon in a guest role. The BBC has announced that film, TV, and theater star Jonathan Groff is joining the cast. In addition to pioneering the role of King George III in Hamilton, Groff is also best known for voicing Kristoff in the Frozen movies.
No specific details about Groff’s part have been revealed as yet, but it’s being described as a “key role” as well as “mysterious and exciting.” As Groff himself said in a statement, “I am so thrilled to jump into the extraordinary mind of Russell T Davies and watch the incredible Ncuti Gatwa soar in this iconic role!”
Meanwhile, Davies added, “This is an incredible coup, and a great honor, to get such a huge star striding on to our set. So strap on your space boots, this is going to be a blast!”
Interestingly, Groff is the second The Matrix Resurrections alum to be hired by Davies for his new Who era, following Neil Patrick Harris’ casting as the main villain of the upcoming 60th-anniversary specials, starring David Tennant. Doctor Who returns to our screens this November.