Although the premiere of the new season of Doctor Who is nearly two years away, Ncuti Gatwa will soon step in the iconic character's shoes. The actor, known for playing fan-favorite Eric Effiong in Netflix's Sex Education, will start filming the upcoming season of the long-running BBC show later this year.

On the air since 1963, Doctor Who follows the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor. This human-looking extraterrestrial travels the universe using a spaceship called the TARDIS, which appears as a classic blue British police box on the outside. Since its premiere over 50 years ago, thirteen actors have portrayed the Doctor, the latest being Jodie Whittaker, who also became the first woman to play the character on TV.

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Gatwa, who was announced as the fourteenth Doctor Who in May, will also make science fiction history when he becomes the first Black actor to lead the series. He will take on the role after Whittaker and showrunner Chris Chibnall exit the show in late 2022. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new Doctor Who season will start shooting in November and premiere in 2024. Still, the transition from one actor to another gets written into the plot, so Gatwa could make an appearance sooner than expected.

Doctor Who Ncuti Gatwa Sex Education

While each incarnation of the Doctor belongs to the same entity and shares the same narrative as the others, every actor's portrayal is unique. Unfortunately, information about Gatwa's depiction of Doctor Who is scarce. However, the return of Russell T. Davies, who served as showrunner in some of the most well-received seasons, implies that season 14 will subvert expectations and deliver a fresh take on the beloved character.

In the meantime, audiences will be able to see Gatwa in Greta Gerwig's much-anticipated Barbie movie, which arrives in theaters in 2023. The live-action Barbie film features a star-studded cast that includes Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling, Simu Liu, Kate McKinnon, Will Ferrell, Issa Rae, Michael Cera, America Ferrera, Alexandra Shipp, Kingsley Ben-Adir, and Gatwa's Sex Education co-star, Emma Mackey, among others. Details regarding the Scottish-Rwandan actor's role remain unclear, though he will reportedly play one of the Kens.

Gatwa is also returning to Sex Education for the show's fourth season, which is officially in the works. Earlier this year, the coming-of-age comedy got a manga adaptation drawn by John Tarachine and released on Comic Bridge's online comic magazine. With these and many more projects to come, it's good to see Gatwa have the opportunity to take on roles that allow him to add his unique spin on cultural staples like the Doctor.

Doctor Who season 14 is expected to debut on BBC in 2024.

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Source: The Hollywood Reporter