Even though we’re over a year away from Doctor Who’s post-Disney era return to our screens, speculation is already running rampant about what’s likely to happen when it does. Showrunner Russell T. Davies says he already knows what’s going to happen in the 2026 Christmas special, but hasn’t been terribly forthcoming about what that means. And, as so often happens, the internet has stepped in to fill that gap with some wild speculation.
Season 15 finale, “The Reality War,” saw Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor regenerate into Billie Piper, but the episode itself wasn’t at all clear about why exactly that happened. Piper’s clearly not playing the Doctor – she didn’t get the customary end-of-episode introductory tag that every other official Time Lord has received — so who is she playing? How does this character bridge the gap to the next Doctor? Will the special even introduce the next Doctor? And who is going to appear in the special alongside her to get us there? (As much as we all love Piper, it seems like an awful heavy lift to ask her to carry an entire special on her back.)
Given Piper’s long history with former Doctor David Tennant, a lot of viewers have already started wishcasting that next year’s festive outing could somehow mark yet another return for the popular actor. (After all, his Fourteenth Doctor is still hanging around Donna Noble’s house.) Another popular fan theory is that somehow this special will finally give one of the franchise’s most underappreciated Doctors his due.
Paul McGann played the eighth incarnation of the popular Time Lord in the (horrendous) 1996 film that basically sent the franchise into the wilderness for the better part of the decade. Nevertheless, he remains a fan favorite, headlining an expansive series of Big Finish audio dramas about Eight’s adventures. He’s even popped back up on the flagship series briefly, appearing in the 50th anniversary mini-episode “The Night of the Doctor” that detailed his Doctor’s regeneration and again for Jodie Whittaker’s final adventure, “The Power of the Doctor,” in 2022. Heck, next year even marks the 30th anniversary of his franchise debut. Kismet? Destiny? Stranger things have happened in the world of Doctor Who.
The announcement that McGann was canceling his early 2026 appearance at the popular Gallifrey One fan convention due to “acting work in the new year” was enough to get the engines of speculation turning, as that’s when the new installment was rumored to be filming. (Another blind guess, but we’ll go with it.) But it was the appearance of a supposedly leaked image – purported to show McGann and Piper filming together on a TARDIS set, with the latter dressed in Gatwa’s former costume— that sent the fandom into overdrive. Yes, the timing seemed odd. Sure, Davies said he hadn’t even finished writing the special yet. But… could it be?
Unfortunately, no. Sorry to crush the dreams of Whovians everywhere, but McGann himself has confirmed that the image is nothing but very believable AI. During an appearance on the Gerry Anderson Podcast, the actor confirmed he’s not returning to the show, nor taking part in the festive special.
“Just recently, I mean in the last week or so, there’s me and Billie Piper working together. If only,” McGann said. “And so people are like, ‘Oh, come on, it has to be true,’ and the rumor mill kicks in.”
McGann was then asked if he signed an NDA and therefore can’t confirm or deny his involvement, and McGann laughingly responded, “You’re making this thing worse. You’re part of the problem.”
In truth, it sounds like the former Doctor is just as in the dark about the show’s future as the rest of us.
“Quite honestly, I know nothing,” McGann added. “And if I had to say zip, if I was sworn to secrecy, I would just tell you I was sworn to secrecy. It’s happened before.”
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