Fourteenth Doctor, David Tennant has shared his enthusiasm for the Fifteenth Doctor, Ncuti Gatwa, noting that his talent means all Doctor Who fans are in for a very special time.

Tennant said:

“Ncuti is brilliant. He’s a lovely, lovely man, and he’s full of beans and he’s really talented. I mean, he’s like scary-talented. So I’m thrilled for every Doctor Who fan for what’s to come and I include myself in that number.”

Tennant, of course, has returned to the show as a different incarnation of the Doctor from the one he originally played, back in 2005 to 2010, while Gatwa’s era begins soon after the 60th anniversary celebrations.

From that quote, we might infer that Tennant has worked with Gatwa on Doctor Who too — a theory backed up by the inclusion of the Fifteenth Doctor in the “Next Time” trailer at the end of The Power of the Doctor.

There have been accusations, too, that bringing David back is somehow bad for the show, and for Ncuti, but this seems unfair to all involved. Showrunner, Russell T Davies, wants what’s best for Doctor Who; so too does Tennant, Gatwa, and the BBC. Bringing back one of the most popular actors on TV for a celebratory trilogy of stories that nonetheless will surely look to the series’ future seems a savvy move.

And we won’t even see the Fourteenth Doctor in action until November 2023, so let’s reserve judgement until then, eh?