48 Years Later, The Oldest Sci-Fi Show Could Finally Explain Its Weirdest Mystery

We all know that the Time Lords in , Davies also said: “The amount we talk about previous Doctors on set is zero… Doctor Who has moments where it looks back but it’s more exciting to look forward.” Presumably, the context of this quote was connected to whether or not previously established actors who played the Doctor — like Matt Smith or Peter Capaldi — could crossover with Ncuti Gatwa. Which is a little different than revealing previously unknown Doctors.

And, if Doctor Who continues to dig into the Timeless Child concept — which Davies has already done with the 2023 specials — it will have to be looking backward a little bit, at least into the Doctor’s distant past. So, while we can probably rule out any cameos from previous Doctors in 2024, that doesn’t mean the lore and secret backstory of the Doctor can’t be filled out. The show can go forward of course, but it’s also a show about time travel, so defining what “forward” means is very relative and timey-wimey.

Doctor Who Season 1 hits Disney+ with a two-episode premiere on May 11, 2024.