The TARDIS is set to get a bit more crowded in Doctor Who Season 2 (or Series 15 if you’re a purist) with the arrival of an additional companion character. So, which actor will star as Ncuti Gatwa’s new companion in Doctor Who Season 2/Series 15?
Related: When Does Doctor Who Season 1/Series 14 Come Out?
Who Is the Doctor’s New Companion in Doctor Who Season 2/Series 15?
Varada Sethu will portray the Fifteenth Doctor’s new companion, Belinda Chandra, in Doctor Who Season 2/Series 15. The British actor is best known for her performance in another sci-fi show, Disney+ Star Wars spinoff Andor. Several news outlets reported Sethu’s casting in January 2024, however, the BBC didn’t officially confirm her involvement in Season 2/Series 15 until April 2024. Interestingly, Sethu subsequently appeared as Anglican Army soldier Mundy Flynn in Doctor Who Season 1/Series 14 Episode 3, “Boom.” Many Whovians assumed that Sethu would therefore reprise the Mundy Flynn role in Season 2/Series 15. Showrunner Russell T Davies soon cast doubt on this theory, however.
Related: New Doctor Who’s First Season Gets Disney+ Release Date, Trailer
“[T]hings are about to get timey-wimey,” Davies posted on Instagram. “[Episode 3’s] the end of Mundy Flynn’s story, so quite how Varada returns will be revealed next year.” Episode 3’s writer Steven Moffat was similarly coy in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, however, he assured fans that “there is a plan” to address Sethu portraying two separate Doctor Who characters. Moffat also likened Sethu’s surprise inclusion in “Boom” to Jenna Coleman starring as multiple Clara Oswald variants prior to becoming an “official” companion in Doctor Who Series 7.
Why Is Millie Gibson Leaving Doctor Who After Season 1/Series 14?
She isn’t. Despite initial reports that Sethu will replace current companion Millie Gibson, the BBC and Davies have separately confirmed that both will star opposite Gatwa in Doctor Who Season 2/Series 15. Indeed, in an April 2024 SFX interview, Davies reiterated that Gibson’s Ruby Sunday remains crucial to Doctor Who‘s wider narrative over the next two seasons.
Related: Doctor Who Is Giving Us Something it Hasn’t in a Very Long Time
“[Millie Gibson is] not leaving. Not at all,” he said. “We were ordered for two years of a series off Disney, and we’re delivering two years, and the Ruby Sunday story literally spans those two years. We are planning [to] shoot the [Season 2] finale in which Ruby has the most magnificent scenes, and Millie, it’s some of [her] most challenging material yet… [Ruby’s arc] will all make sense once you see it play out.”
Doctor Who Season 1/Series 14 is currently streaming on Disney+.
The above article was updated on 7/31/2024 by the original author to include more information about the new companion.
Published: Jul 31, 2024 07:34 am