50 Actors Who Could Play the Next Doctor on Doctor Who

QUANTICO – “Kudove” – When season two begins, Alex finds herself at “The Farm,” the CIA’s mysterious training facility. As Alex navigates the dark world of espionage, far different and more dangerous than what she’s learned before, she’s pulled into the center of a deadly conspiracy that not only threatens the lives of this country’s citizens, but the lives of countless others across the globe. This conspiracy calls everyone around her into question, be it new faces from the CIA or old ones from the Bureau. Prepare yourselves for another thrilling and heart-stopping adventure loaded with surprises you won’t see coming, on “Quantico,” airing SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25 (10:00-11:00 p.m. EDT), on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/Giovanni Rufino)

RUSSELL TOVEY

Russell Tovey

While he may be best known for his role as George in the sci-fi series Being Human, actor Russell Tovey has a wide variety of roles under his belt. His previous appearances include major roles on Looking, Sherlock, Gavin & Stacey, Sherlock, Him & Her, The Job Lot, The Night Manager and more. There’s no reason that he shouldn’t add “playing the Doctor” to his list of accomplishments. Plus, he’d be phenomenal in the part. Tovey possesses a certain everyman kind of appeal, and generally seems like the nicest guy in the world. So what sort of Doctor would he be? It’s hard to say, but it certainly seems as if he’d be a more human, caring Thirteen than we see these days in Twelve.

Tovey is in a bit of a sweet spot, career-wise at the moment. He’s young, attractive, and relatively well-known, but not so well-known that you couldn’t see him taking on the role of the Doctor. It wouldn’t feel like a mismatch for him, is more what I mean. As a performer, he’s incredibly charming, and capable of doing both dramatic and comedic work. (He’s also a great crier, which is something we maybe don’t see enough in male performers?)

Plus, he already has a connection to the Whoniverse. Tovey appeared on Doctor Who once already, playing Midshipman Alonso Frame in Christmas special “Voyage of the Damned”. (He popped back up again for a quick and memorable scene in David Tennant’s “End of Time” finale, too.) But given the fact that Doctor Who has already come up with a reason why the Doctor might choose to wear the face of someone he’s already met, this isn’t really a deal breaker anymore. Allons-y, Alonso, indeed!

Next: Lots of New Doctor Who Season 10 Photos Released

While this list has 50 names on it, the odds that we’ve actually lucked into guessing the person who will be the next Doctor are tiny. There are just too many factors – from talented actors to business concerns – to consider. Besides, we’re probably not lucky enough to live in the reality where Maggie Smith picks up a sonic screwdriver. But any of these individuals would be great choices, so let’s just keep the dream alive that they might actually pop up in Season 11. And let’s not forget – Peter Capaldi isn’t done yet. We still have an entire season’s worth of Twelve to enjoy, so let’s all remember to do that in the midst of all this speculation.

Doctor Who Season 10 begins Saturday, April 15 on BBC America.