Chris Chibnall assured a young fan he would “have a think” about bringing back more old monsters after revealing his reason for bringing back the Daleks – or one, at least – in the New Year’s Day special, Resolution.
Chibnall revealed at a preview screening of the episode:
“We knew we wanted something big for the end-of-series special, and knowing that we would have no old monsters in the series was really a build up for the special.”
He added that he hoped the Dalek’s appearance was “exciting, and it feels rare and thrilling.”
So which familiar monsters might return to battle the Doctor next…?
The Cybermen have always been the Time Lord’s most persistent enemies after the Daleks, and given the negative reaction to Chibnall’s Torchwood episode, Cyberwoman, he might like another chance to write for them. On the other hand, given the prominence they enjoyed during the Capaldi era – two of Capaldi’s three season finales featured them – Chibnall may wish to give them a longer rest before bringing them back.
The Silurians are definitely due another appearance, having not played a major role since 2010’s The Hungry Earth/ Cold Blood, although Dinosaurs on a Spaceship (2012) featured one in a brief cameo. (As both those stories were written by Chibnall, he may feel he’s done all he wants to with them.)
He may prefer to bring back a menace he hasn’t written for before, such as the Ice Warriors or the Zygons, both of whom are popular. Both have also appeared on the series recently, meaning that the costumes already exist ready to be used.
Or perhaps he’ll go for something much less predictable? As a child of the Davison era, Chibnall might be tempted to bring back the Terileptils, last seen in The Visitation (1982). For the time, these reptilian humanoids were pretty impressive, and a modern version could be even more so. They also have significantly more depth than the average Doctor Who monster, and given Chibnall’s history of keeping fans guessing, a more unexpected choice might appeal.
Whatever familiar faces he decides to revisit, it seems pretty certain that Chibnall will only bring back old monsters occasionally if he wants to keep it “rare and thrilling.” Returning monsters may well be restricted to event episodes like season openers, finales, and Christmas/New Year specials in future.
Which classic enemies would you like to see return to battle Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor?
