Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor Who tenure has only just began, but already it’s been overshadowed by shocking cast shake-ups.
On Christmas Day 2023, Whovians everywhere got to see Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor in action for his first full episode as well as getting to know Millie Gibson’s Ruby Sunday, the Time Lord’s new time-traveling companion. With the pair being pitched as a package deal going into this spring’s season 14, officially branded as season 1, it seemed like Gatwa and Gibson would be the show’s co-leads for a while to come. And yet, not even one month after the premiere of her first episode, news arrived that the actress had already left the series.
But, wait, has Gibson been fired? How many more episodes will she appear in? And who is replacing her? Here’s what we know.
Was Millie Gibson dropped from Doctor Who?
As reported by the The Mirror on Jan. 19, Millie Gibson was claimed to not be returning as a regular for Doctor Who season 15, aka the second season to feature Gatwa’s Doctor. Due to a fast production turnaround, although the run won’t air until 2025, filming began prior to Christmas 2023.
According to The Mirror’s insiders, Gibson shot for three months on season 15 last year and is set to return for a little bit more filming in the coming weeks to “tie up loose ends.” In the meantime, shooting continued with Gatwa working alongside a new female lead, Varada Sethu (Andor).
Due to this alleged exit coming so swiftly after her entrance, and The Mirror‘s use of the word “dropped” in its headline, it’s been widely assumed that Gibson was fired or else left the production under acrimonious circumstances. However, it’s important to note that there was nothing indicating this in The Mirror‘s report. In fact, insider sources seem very positive about the situation.
“Russell [T. Davies, showrunner] is keeping things moving and isn’t letting the grass grow, that’s for sure,” reads one quote from a source.
Likewise, there’s certainly no bad blood between Gatwa and Gibson. In the wake of the news breaking, the Barbie and Sex Education star took to Instagram to share the love for his (former) co-star.
By the sounds of it, Gibson shot about half of Gatwa’s second season before Sethu joined as the new companion, so it’s likely this was simply part of Davies’ plan to keep things fresh all along. What’s more, there’s no indication that Gibson is gone for good, as The Mirror suggests she will return in some form after her exit. This could reflect how former companions like Freeman Agyeman (Martha Jones), Catherine Tate (Donna Noble), and Billie Piper (Rose Tyler) all came back in recurring capacities once their own trips in the TARDIS were done.
Who is new Ncuti Gatwa’s new Doctor Who companion?
After many months of curious silence, the BBC finally came clean about the casting of the Doctor’s newest companion on April 12, just one month prior to the latest season’s premiere. Sure enough, the BBC confirmed the role will be assumed by Varada Sethu. However, there was an additional twist in the tale we didn’t expect. Sethu’s casting announcement heavily implies that Gatwa, Sethu, and Gibson will appear together throughout season 15, which seems to outright contradict claims that the latter is leaving.
It’s worth pointing out, though, that numerous set photos from the shoot confirm that Gatwa and Sethu filmed episodes together without Gibson present. So it’s possible that Gibson is exiting the series after all, but it will be more of a soft handover between her and Sethu, with their characters both traveling in the TARDIS for a period before Ruby is written out. This would also explain The Mirror‘s claims that Gibson had some more scenes to shoot to “tie up loose ends.”
But who is Varada Sethu? Well, the she should be already be familiar to avid sci-fi fans with a Disney Plus subscription as she’s most known for playing Cinta Kaz in eight episodes of acclaimed Star Wars drama Andor. She can also be seen in the likes of Now You See Me 2, Jurassic World: Dominion, and British action series Strike Back. Interestingly, in contrast to the 19-year-old Gibson, Sethu is 32 years old and so is actually older than the 31-year-old Gatwa.
According to The Mirror‘s sources, the actress immediately fit into the show perfectly and got on with the Doctor Who family like a house time machine on fire.
“Varada is a real gem,” shares the insider. “Russell was just blown away by her talent. The cast and crew have really warmed to her and he’s sure the fans will too.”
All in all, despite the drama surrounding this casting change, it appears to be a textbook example of Doctor Who getting a new companion. So quit worrying, Who fans, we don’t have another Christopher Eccleston situation on our hands.