Doctor Who May Head Towards a Woman as the Doctor

Doctor Who showrunner says we’ll have a woman as the Doctor when he finds the right person for the role.

Doctor Who executive producer Steven Moffat confirmed it’s within possibility for a woman to play the role of the Doctor. Speaking at the Sky Women in Television and Film Awards, Moffat said logically a woman will be cast at some point.

The past season starred Peter Capaldi as the latest Doctor, and while it may seem early to already be talking about the next Doctor, even Dame Helen Mirren asked for a new Doctor who was a woman, black, or gay – preferably all three.

Apparently Moffat is well aware of the criticisms and told an audience at the awards that he has been working toward a female Doctor.

“It’s actually only since I took over the show that we have said it’s actually possible within the logic of the show,” he said. “The very first lines I wrote were Matt Smith checking if he had become a girl, and then I put some dialogue in to The Doctor’s Wife about it in Night of the Doctor.”

In the 51 years of Doctor Who there has been no female Doctor. However, (spoilers for the end of season 8) for the first time the Master, antagonist and the Doctor’s old friend, returned as a woman. Missy (Michelle Gomez) gave hope to some fans hoping to see a future Doctor played by a woman.

“[The Doctor] doesn’t seem to register the fact that his old friend is now a woman,” Moffat continued. “So obviously, he doesn’t think it’s a remarkable thing to happen. We must assume that gender is quite fluid on Gallifrey.”

However, Moffat is waiting for the right actress, but that might not be too far away. According to SFX, Moffat said the next Doctor might be the right time for a woman to take the role.

“We’ve been laying the possibility for an awfully long time, but you don’t cast that way,” he said. “I know I’m going to get in trouble for saying that – you cast a person, you don’t cast the gender.”

Doctor Who has been male-dominated in both the actors playing the Doctor and the people writing the show in its 50-year history. Last month Doctor Who hired its first female writer in the last six years.

Source: Wales Online, Radio Times