19 Years Later, Doctor Who Could Be Repeating A Surprising Companion Trick

Some , have started theorizing that Moffat can only be referring to events from “Joy to the World,” which has led to some hypothetical notion that Anita from “Joy to the World” could return in the next season.

But what if it was something else? “Joy to the World” introduced quite a bit of new continuity, including the idea that Joy herself became the literal Christmas star from antiquity and that the evil corporation Villengard was creating technology so massive that it could wipe out entire solar systems. The episode also introduced the Time Hotel, which suggests that at some point in the Who timeline, total amateurs could become time travelers, which surely will require some professional time travelers (like the Doctor) to do some clean-up.

That said, it’s possible that Steven Moffat saw the next big Who finale for another reason. And that reason could relate to the fact that his episode “Boom” featured the early appearance of Varada Sethu as Mundy, an Anglican marine. Previously, Sethu had been announced as the next companion for the Ncuti Gatwa’s 15th Doctor, making her early appearance in the 2024 season a surprise. But in Season 2 (or 15), Sethu will be playing a new character named Belinda Chandra, meaning the series, will (or won’t) explain why the same actress appeared as a different person earlier.

Current showrunner Russell T Davies and past showrunner Steven Moffat have, of course, done this kind of thing before. Freema Agyeman appeared as a different character in Season 2 before becoming a regular in Season 3 as Martha Jones. Peter Capaldi appeared as two different characters in the Whoniverse — Caecilius in Season 4, and John Frobisher in Torchwood. And, of course, Jenna Coleman showed up as Oswin in Season 7, before she appeared as Clara.

So, did Moffat need to know about the 2025 finale because of Varada Sethu in “Boom” or something secret that’s been planted in “Joy to the World?” In terms of timey-wimey twists, it’s pretty much even money on which of these predictions could end up mattering in the new season. But, it’s also just as likely that whatever connections Moffat is teasing is something that we’ll never see coming.

Doctor Who Season 2 (or 15) hits Disney+ sometime in 2025.