In a decision that should satisfy fans who have been clamoring for more diverse Doctors, BBC took to Twitter to reveal that Jodie Whittaker would be playing the Thirteenth Doctor. Whittaker takes the role from Peter Capaldi and is the first woman to portray the Time Lord in the show’s 54-year run.
Whittaker is likely most familiar to American audiences for her role as Sam, the central woman character in the cult favorite alien invasion film Attack the Block from director Joe Cornish. She played Beth Latimer, the mother of a murdered child, in the series Broadchurch, which stars former Doctor Who alumni David Tennant. She also played the female lead in "The Entire History of You" in the first season of the television scifi anthology Black Mirror.
Several people were rumored to be in the running for the role, including Kris Marshall (Love Actually), Tom Rosenthal (Plebs), David Harewood (Homeland), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag), and outliers like Tilda Swinton (Doctor Strange) and Natalie Dormer (Game of Thrones).
"I’m beyond excited to begin this epic journey - with [writer Chris Chibnall (Broadchurch)] and with every Whovian on this planet." said Whittaker in the official announcement from BBC. "It’s more than an honour to play the Doctor. It means remembering everyone I used to be, while stepping forward to embrace everything the Doctor stands for: hope. I can’t wait."
Whittaker will take over the Tardis from Capaldi during this year’s Doctor Who Christmas special.
