Doctor Who lead Jodie Whittaker has announced that she's already filmed her regeneration scene, all without meeting her replacement. Whittaker, who has been starring as the 13th Doctor since her debut in 2017, recently wrapped on filming the upcoming season alongside Mandip Gill who plays her companion, Yasmin Kahn.
The 14th Doctor, whose actor or actress has not been revealed, was not present when Whittaker filmed the regeneration scene. As Whittaker stated to Metro.co.uk,
“They are never going to tell me who it is. We filmed some scenes but the new Doctor wasn’t there. I wasn’t there for Peter (Capaldi), and I only met him months later when I passed him in the street!”
Season 13, officially titled Doctor Who: Flux, will be Whittaker’s third and final season as the titular character. The send-off season contains six episodes and will follow along a single-story arc. Whittaker likened the story to a six-hour film while appearing on The Graham Norton Show, making the upcoming season a departure from the typical episodic nature of the show. However, it is fitting, as Whittaker's Doctor sought to challenge different notions about the beloved sci-fi hero while being the first female incarnation of the character.
Leaving alongside Whittaker is Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall, who took the reins in 2017 as Whittaker started her run. Former showrunner Russell T. Davies will return to the position at the start of Series 14 in 2022. Davies is responsible for reviving the show back in 2005, with the Ninth Doctor being played by Christopher Eccleston. Also leaving is executive producer Matt Strevens.
John Bishop will join the cast as Dan Lewis, alongside fellow Who newcomer Jacob Anderson, who is playing a recurring character named Vinder.
Doctor Who: Flux is set to premiere on October 31. BBC has announced there will be three associated holiday specials featuring Whittaker's Doctor following the end of the season run before (presumably) the Fourteenth Doctor makes their grand appearance.