Doctor Who confirms fan theory with sequel to iconic episode – and David Tennant cameo

The Well, the third episode of the new Ncuti Gatwa season, follows the Doctor and Belinda (Varada Sethu) as they arrive on a brutal planet and discover that a mining colony has been wiped out – with only one survivor, Aliss Fenly, played by Rose Ayling-Ellis.

But soon, a murderous unseen entity appears behind Aliss's back – and it turns out it's actually a creature that's very familiar to the Doctor.

After realising with horror what's going on, the Doctor asks squad leader Shaya Costallion (Caoilfhionn Dunne) what name the planet was once known by.

In a moment that confirms fans' worst fears, she replies: "Midnight."

Making the reveal that much more dramatic, we also see a brief appearance from David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor and Lesley Sharp as Sky Silvestry, as the Fifteenth Doctor remembers the horrors that awaited him on Midnight.

Midnight, which aired in 2008, followed the Tenth Doctor as he boarded a small touring vehicle on the hostile planet Midnight and encountered a terrifying unseen and unknown entity that possessed another passenger, played by Sharp.

It was widely praised for its psychological horror elements and stunning performances, also making its way to number 7 on RadioTimes.com's list of best 20 modern Doctor Who episodes.

Showrunner Russell T Davies previously teased the connection to Midnight, telling Steffan Powell on Doctor Who: Unleashed: "There’s gorgeous stuff to come. Like next week, we’re in Miami in 1952. We’ve got great things coming up. We’ve got a very unexpected sequel coming up."

Davies previously described Ayling-Ellis's turn in The Well as "an astonishing performance of terror, anger and bravery in one of the most frightening episodes we’ve ever made".

Meanwhile, Ayling-Ellis's casting was announced in December 2024, with the star admitting it was "so hard" to keep her role a secret, "to the point where I had to lie to myself that I'm not doing it".

The horrifying end of the episode also hints that the story could continue – so could we see another appearance from the Midnight creature in future?

Doctor Who season 15 continues on 3rd May, coming to BBC iPlayer at 8am and airing later that evening on BBC One.

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