After five years traveling through time and space, you might expect outgoing Time Lord Jodie Whittaker to want to put her feet up and just enjoy living in the present (as opposed to the past or the future). Actually, the actress has revealed that she’s already desperate to return to Doctor Who and has made it known to The Powers That Be that she would be “devastated” if she isn’t asked back to the show within the next few years.
Whittaker’s feature-length final episode, “The Power of the Doctor,” airs this weekend as part of the BBC’s centenary celebrations, but the Thirteenth Doctor is determined that this won’t be the last time we see her at the controls of the TARDIS. Speaking to RadioTimes.com ahead of her regeneration, Whittaker admitted that she’s spoken to incoming showrunner Russell T. Davies to let him know she’ll be ready to wield the sonic screwdriver again whenever he asks. She said:
“I said to [new showrunner] Russell T Davies, ‘Don’t ever think of it as being “too soon.” If I’m not asked back, I will be devastated. I know it might need to be a few years, but Russell knows—I’m going to be like a little terrier at his heels.”
Luckily for Whittaker, the perfect opportunity to bring her back is right around the corner. Following the Chris Chibnall eras, Davies will be taking back the reins of the Whoniverse for its 60th anniversary in 2023. Seeing as Doctor Who has previously marked its big birthdays by throwing as many Doctors as possible into the mix, maybe there’s room for Thirteen to make a fast return. We already know David Tennant and new Doctor Ncuti Gatwa are involved.
For now, it’s the end of the line for our first female Doctor, as she’s set to face an alliance of her deadliest enemies—the Daleks, the Cybermen, and the Master — in Doctor Who‘s “The Power of the Doctor.” Don’t miss it this Sunday, Oct. 23.