This must be what all those rumors were about. Earlier in the year, some sources became convinced that David Tennant would once-again become the full-time Doctor after Jodie Whittaker’s tenure ends. That’s obviously not the case. But he and Catherine Tate will return to Doctor Who for the 60th anniversary episode, the BBC confirms.
Long before Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Who made it a tradition for previous incarnations of the Doctor to team up for anniversary specials, beginning with The Three Doctors for the tenth anniversary, and The Five Doctors for the 20th. Actor mortality, and a multi-year hiatus, kept the number from expanding beyond that, but Tennant and Matt Smith teamed up for the 50th, along with a cameo from Tom Baker.
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It may take some heavy plot lifting to explain Tate’s return as Donna Noble, since the Doctor wiped himself from her memories to save her life. Any memory of her time in the TARDIS could be fatal. But by way of explanation, returning showrunner Russell T. Davies will only say, “Maybe this is a missing story. Or a parallel world. Or a dream, or a trick, or a flashback. The only thing I can confirm is that it’s going to be spectacular, as two of our greatest stars reunite for the battle of a lifetime.” A parallel universe version of Tennant’s Doctor left to be with Rose Tyler, so that’s always a possibility to revisit.
Tennant and Tate are currently filming for the episode, to air in 2023.
What do you think of these returns? Let us know in comments.
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