Olivia Colman
My personal choice for the role. Having worked so closely with the new showrunner, Chris Chibnall, on his hugely successful ITV drama, Broadchurch, Colman and Chibnall would surely be up for a reunion.
Aside from that, Colman seems to have everything required to play the Doctor. Her comedy background (Peep Show, That Mitchell & Webb Look) stands her in good stead for the comedy required for the role, and her dramatic ability is a match for any previous Doctor. She’s a Golden Globe winner, a three-time BAFTA winner, and three-time British Independent Film Award winner.
Look no further than her role as Ellie Miller on Broadchurch as evidence of her suitability for this role, though. I think it’s sometimes lost on people how important proper, dramatic ability is when playing the Doctor; too many people are suggesting Miranda Hart, Richard Ayoade, and Sue Perkins. While they’d be perfect as comedy Doctors, the moments that stay with me from David Tennant’s and Peter Capaldi’s series are their passionate, dramatic speeches. Their pleas for mercy, their emotional goodbyes. David Tennant’s ‘It’s Not Fair’ scene with Bernard Cribbins in ‘The End of Time Part Two’; Peter Capaldi’s anti-war speech in ‘The Zygon Inversion’.
Doctor Who fan favourite and colleague of Colman, David Tennant even said she’d be a “magnificent choice”.
Sacha Dhawan
Having already impressed in the Whoniverse as Doctor Who creator, Waris Hussein, in Mark Gatiss’ wonderful An Adventure In Space And Time, Dhawan would be the first non-white actor to play the Doctor.
Showing his versatility in British TV and film, Dhawan has starred in Last Tango in Halifax, Line of Duty, Utopia, Game of Thrones, Mr Selfridge, Sherlock, and The Lady in the Van, as well as venturing into international waters with Iron Fist, After Earth, and 24: Live Another Day.
His range is what appeals the most: you can see from his CV that he has the ability to play various roles, and that’s so important in playing the role. The Doctor isn’t just one character all the time, he is sweet, he is funny, he is charming, he is peculiar, he is angry, he is passionate. Dhawan has the ability to tick all those boxes.
Not only that but, with reports of the BBC wanting a younger, more attractive Doctor (to recreate the most successful years of the show, with David Tennant in the role), Dhawan certainly fits the bill.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Breakout creator and star of brilliant sitcom, Fleabag, Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s odds were slashed a short while ago and she briefly replaced Kris Marshall as the favourite for the role. An interesting choice given how recent her breakthrough was, but her story so far has a similar feel to that of David Tennant and Matt Smith.
Recently cast as an as-yet-unnamed female droid in the upcoming Han Solo movie, Waller-Bridge may have other jobs in mind before committing herself to such a long-term project as Doctor Who, but it could be just the role to develop and demonstrate her ability.
She’s funny, obviously, but Fleabag was so much more than funny. She showed her dramatic ability too, with the humour dark and the show, at times, incredibly moving.
Back in May, Waller-Bridge said it would be a “great time” for a female incarnation, and said, “there are so many great actresses out there who I think would kill it.”
Michaela Coel
Michaela Coel is a strikingly similar case to Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Breakout writer and star of Chewing Gum, Coel has a fantastic ability to juggle comedy and drama.
At just 29, Coel would be the youngest ever incarnation of the Doctor, so perhaps it’s slightly too soon for her, but I would be fully on board with her casting.
Maxine Peake
Star of British TV for so many years, Maxine Peake is another brilliant shout for the thirteenth Doctor.
A CV spanning such a huge variety of genres and roles, Peake provides a quirkiness that is so desired in a Doctor Who actor. I’d also suggest she’s the perfect level of celebrity status: she’s a well-known name, especially in Britain, but not so big that she’d struggle to fit the show into her schedule.
Here's more you might like