Jonathan Groff Is Jumping Into the DOCTOR WHO Franchise in a Mysterious Key Role
Jonathan Groff (Mindhunters, Knock at the Cabin) is set to jump into BBC’s long-running popular sci-fi series Doctor Who, and he will be taking on a key role. While we have no clue who he’s playing, it’s explained that “he’s on his way to jump aboard the Tardis in a mysterious and exciting guest role.” It’s going to be fun to see what kind of role he’s playing in the show because he’s such an entertaining actor to watch.
Groff said in a statement: “I am so thrilled to jump into the extraordinary mind of Russell T Davies and watch the incredible Ncuti Gatwa soar in this iconic role.”
Showrunner Russell T Davies added: “This is an incredible coup, and a great honour, to get such a huge star striding on to our set. So strap on your space boots, this is going to be a blast.”
Doctor Who will return in November 2023 with three special episodes that will see David Tennant return as the 14th Doctor to coincide with the show’s 60th anniversary, and Catherine Tate will also return as Donna. Gatwa’s first episode will air over the holidays. After that, Ncuti Gatwa will take over as the 15th Doctor with his companion Ruby, who’s played by Millie Gibson.
Davies discussed the journey leading up to the introduction of the 15th Doctor: “If you thought the appearance of David Tennant was a shock, we’ve got plenty more surprises on the way. The path to Ncuti’s 15th Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger and fun. And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? How, what, why? We’re giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose.”
There is also a Doctor Who spinoff series in the works that will put a focus on the military research organization UNIT, which has appeared various times in the franchise since 1968. That series will star Jemma Redgrave as Kate Stewart, who has appeared in 10 episodes of Doctor Who since 2012. The spinoff will focus on Stewart running the organization.
When previously talking about his spinoff plans, Davies said: "So I thought — with no criticism whatsoever towards the people who were running it at the time, because they were running it within the BBC's measures — it was time for the next stage for Doctor Who. I thought the streaming platforms are ready, the spin-offs are ready; I always believed in spin-offs when I was there. I did Torchwood as a spin-off, The Sarah Jane Adventures as a spin-off. Those spin-offs declined when I left, and I can see why. And I very much left after 2008, when the money became scarce, I think that's fair enough for the public service broadcaster that the money is spent on other things."
Doctor Who will premiere exclusively on the BBC for the U.K. and Ireland. Disney+ will be the exclusive home for the new seasons of Doctor Who.