Peter Capaldi rules out Doctor Who 60th: "I'd rather leave it as is"
The actor warned against having too many Doctors in one episode.
Peter Capaldi has dismissed rumours he could return as The Doctor in the upcoming 60th anniversary, telling fans he's happy with the way he departed the role.
Rumours and speculation have been rampant around the celebrations, written by returning showrunner Russell T Davies, which are confirmed to feature David Tennant and Catherine Tate as the Tenth Doctor and Donna Noble.
Some have wondered whether other incarnations of The Doctor could also appear to mark the occasion, but the latest comments from Capaldi appear to rule out the Twelfth.
In an interview with SFX Magazine, he expressed concern that cramming too many Doctors into a single episode would lead to few, if any, getting the screen time that fans would want.
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"It’s very hard to imagine how you’d get a decent crack of the whip when there’s 14 of you, you know? So I think I’d rather leave it as is, because I loved my time on Doctor Who and loved doing it," he said.
"I don’t want to be Doctor Who’s assistant. [Laughs] It used to drive me insane on Doctor Who, not being able to talk about anything. It’s like, 'Who cares?!' But then I get into trouble."
Capaldi went on to discuss the responsibility that comes with playing The Doctor and the way in which it changes the public's perception of you.
"In a way, when you’re Doctor Who you sort of become another person," he explained. "Because you sort of embody that when you’re in public so you have to be able to turn that on. But it’s not necessarily natural to all of us.
"It’s true – I’ve talked to the others about it. You don’t want to disappoint people, you really don’t."
Prior to the 60th anniversary celebrations, we have the BBC centenary special coming up this month, which will be the final episode to feature Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor. It's going to be emotional!
Capaldi will soon be seen in Prime Video thriller The Devil's Hour, which is scheduled for release on Friday 28th October – just in time for Halloween.
You can read the full interview with Peter Capaldi in the latest SFX magazine – out 5th October.
Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
