Doctor Who fans think Christopher Eccleston just teased his return
BBCAn Instagram post by former Doctor Who star Christopher Eccleston has some fans convinced he’s hinting at a franchise comeback.
Eccleston portrayed the Ninth Doctor in Series 1 of the 2005 Doctor Who revival. He exited the sci-fi show that same year, after clashing with senior members of the production.
Owing to the circumstances of his departure, Eccleston subsequently turned down former showrunner Steven Moffat’s invitation to take part in 2013’s 50th anniversary special, “The Day of the Doctor.”
The English actor is likewise not expected to take part in this year’s trio of 60th anniversary specials, although the second special, “Wild Blue Yonder,” includes a callback to his tenure in the TARDIS.
Doctor Who fans think Christopher Eccleston just teased his return
As a result, Eccleston is very much at the front of fans’ minds. Indeed, one of the star’s recent Instagram posts even has some Redditors wondering if he’ll show up in the third and final 60th anniversary special, “The Giggle,” after all.
Eccleston’s post included a picture of him holding a copy of Big Issue magazine in front of his chest – with incoming Doctor Who headliner Ncuti Gatwa on the cover. This led some members of the r/doctorwho subreddit to speculate Eccleston was signaling his return to the show.
“Eccleston just shared this,” posted one Reddit user. “Any chance of him being in the specials or reprising the role in the near future?” “Had this thought the other day. A Capaldi/Eccleston special would be fantastic,” replied another, referencing the Twelfth Doctor actor Peter Capaldi.
However, the overwhelming consensus among r/doctorwho members was that Eccleston won’t make a surprise cameo in “The Giggle.” This is due to his allegedly fractious relationship with current Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies, who also oversaw Eccleston’s run on the series.
“He’s promoting a magazine, period,” argued one fan. “Given all the bad blood between him and the current showrunners, he’s not coming back.” “I believe he said just a few days ago during a panel with [former co-star] Billie Piper that he’d need [Davies], Jane Tranter, and Phil Collinson fired before he’d consider it,” added a second. “So I doubt it.”
New Doctor Who Christmas special stills spotlight Ncuti Gatwa’s arrival
More than one Redditor also suggested that Eccleston’s post was his way of supporting Gatwa, ahead of his Doctor Who debut in “The Giggle.” The Sex Education star will then make his first full appearance as the Fifteenth Doctor in the upcoming Christmas special “The Church on Ruby Road.”
The BBC revealed several key details about the Doctor Who Christmas special’s story on December 1. Notably, fans learned that the Doctor and his new companion, Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson), will encounter goblins in the festive-themed episode.
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