The long-rumoured Doctor Who spin-off series, The War Between the Land and the Sea, has entered pre-production, and along with that news comes rumours of who exactly is going to be the show’s lead actor.

According to the CV of line producer Carolyn Parry-Jones, The War Between the Land and the Sea will be five-part drama consisting of one-hour episodes. It’s directed by Dylan Holmes-Williams (73 Yards; Dot and Bubble) and produced by Edoardo Ferretti (Mission Impossible III; A Discovery of Witches).

Appropriately, considering Holmes-Williams directed it, the spin-off was namechecked in 73 Yards, in which the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) said, “The rocks and the water; it never ends — the war between the land and the sea.”

There’s been a lot of speculation about the show, with many suggesting it’ll feature the Sea Devils, the cousins of the Silurians, last seen in Legend of the Sea Devils. Dylan has been seen scouting coastal locations, so some think this is indicative of Homo Reptilia, but considering the apparent name of the spin-off, it could ne anything. Nonetheless, the smart money is on a returning antagonist featuring in the programme to reinforce the link with Doctor Who.

Otherwise, the protagonists are said to be UNIT, so it’s possible we’ll see more of Kate Stewart (Jemma Redgrave).

However, there are further rumours that the series will star Freema Agyeman, returning as Tenth Doctor companion, Martha Jones. She has worked for UNIT before and was seen as a freelancer in The End of Time. She also crossed over into another previous spin-off, Torchwood. It’d make sense that showrunner, Russell T Davies, wants to work with her again, and the BBC is no doubt keen to stress the links with the ever-popular Tenth Doctor era.

Plus, it would explain why Martha is featured prominently in the Whoniverse banner.

Either way, we’ll likely find out very soon, as The War Between the Land and the Sea is expected to start filming in September 2024.