50 Actors Who Could Play the Next Doctor on Doctor Who

A Season 8 promotional photo of the Doctor’s TARDIS. (Photo: BBC)

With Peter Capaldi’s last season on Doctor Who about to begin, we take a look at 50 talented actors and actresses who could replace him in the TARDIS.

Season 10 of Doctor Who begins on Saturday, April 15. This is a big deal for a bunch of reasons. Not the least of which being that it’s been over a year since a new season of Who aired. (The one-off holiday special “The Return of Doctor Mysterio” – while surprisingly fun – does not count. Not really.)

New episodes are always a reason to celebrate. But the other big thing? Season 10 will be Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi’s last in the TARDIS. This makes for a kind of strange feeling. The premiere marks both a beginning and a kind of ending. We’re officially counting down to a regeneration now, after all.

Capaldi won’t officially hand over his sonic screwdriver until the 2017 Christmas special. (We think.) Which, technically is thirteen episodes from now. But that doesn’t matter so much. Speculation is already rampant about who might replace him as the Doctor. And there’s no sign that this chatter will dissipate as the season goes on.

But who might play the Thirteenth Doctor? This is a question with many potential answers. Many fans want to see Doctor Who make a more progressive casting decision here, and tap a woman or a person of color (or both!) for the role. And after 53 years and twelve white men playing the Doctor, it certainly feels like time for such a shift. But rumor has it that the BBC really wants to cast someone younger than outgoing Doctor Capaldi (who, for the record, is only 58), as part of a return to the more ratings-friendly status quo of the David Tennant or Matt Smith eras. It’s unclear which particular path the corporation – and incoming showrunner Chris Chibnall – will choose. But there are certainly lots of options when it comes to talented actors capable of taking on this role.

Here are 50 incredible actors and actresses who could play Doctor Who’s next Doctor. From seasoned performers to exciting newcomers, we have a little bit of everything here.

Andrew Scott as “Sherlock’s” villainous Moriarty (Photo: Photo: Courtesy of (C)Robert Viglasky/Hartswood Films for MASTERPIECE)

Andrew Scott

Since Steven Moffat started running things behind-the-scenes at both Doctor Who and Sherlock, both fandoms clamored for the shows to connect with one another. (Seriously. This went on for years.) But what could be more of a connection than actually starring on both? Just think of the fanfiction! It seems unlikely, despite widespread fan longing that Sherlock stars Benedict Cumberbatch or Martin Freeman would ever consider playing the Doctor. (As much as we’d like to think otherwise, they’re both too busy and famous now.) But Andrew Scott definitely might. He’s equally fantastic, but his schedule isn’t nearly as crowded. And he’d be an incredible Thirteen.

Besides Sherlock, you may have seen Scott in several of his other notable roles. He starred in British mini-series The Town, played a Bond villain in Spectre, and wore a different kind of crown as King Louis in the latest installment of Shakespeare series The Hollow Crown, among many other things. He’s also a regular performer on the London stage, and most recently played Hamlet at the Almeida Theater.

But it is Scott’s breakout performance as Sherlock supervillain James Moriarty that is his most surprising, impressive effort. A very nontraditional choice for the role, he gave a very nontraditional performance. His Moriarty is mercurial, wild, over the top and completely ridiculous at times. But he’s also compelling and terrifying. As an actor, Scott is great at making interesting, unexpected choices. His Doctor would be anything but predictable. And that’s kind of exactly what Doctor Who needs right now.

Ben Whishaw in Bond film “Skyfall”. (Photo: MGM/Columbia Pictures)

Ben Whishaw

According to the bookies in London, Ben Whishaw is a leading contender to play the Thirteenth Doctor. Whether that’s actually true or not is anyone’s guess. But he’d certainly be amazing in the part.

Whishaw is known for playing cerebral, slightly nerdy roles. He’s a bit eccentric, a bit sensitive, and a bit weird, all with a hidden core of strength underneath. And this, as we all know, pretty much describes the Doctor to a tee. Whishaw’s most well known role is probably as Q, the tech-genius quartermaster in Daniel Craig’s Bond films. But he’s starred in a ton of other things, including The Hour, London Spy, The Hollow Crown, Cloud Atlas, Paddington and more. And he’s an accomplished theater actor on top of all that, too. His pedigree is pretty impeccable.

And while Whishaw is the safest kind of casting choice for the Doctor – another white male – he also adds an interesting layer of his own. Whishaw would be the first out gay man cast in the role. And the Doctor’s sexuality is notoriously…absent. His romantic inclinations are virtually never mentioned unless you count the stuff back in Seasons 9 and 10 with Rose. So perhaps this is the only kind of representation that the BBC might feel comfortable engaging in. Yes, it’s the kind that’s not really any representation at all, but maybe for this repeatedly slow moving institution, it’s the tiniest of steps away from the status quo.

And would Whishaw ever even take the role? It’s unclear. He’s a notoriously private person, so the public whirlwind that comes with playing the Doctor is probably less than ideal. But he’d be so good at it, that it might be worth it

Natalie Dormer as Anne Boleyn on Showtime’s “The Tudors” (Photo: Showtime)

Natalie Dormer

Many fans would like to see a female Doctor take over the TARDIS following Twelve’s regeneration. And there are certainly many qualified candidates. But one of my personal favorites is actress Natalie Dormer, whose work has only been getting better and better since her breakout role in period drama The Tudors. Dormer imbued Anne Boleyn with all the sass, sex appeal, intelligence and vulnerability that you might expect from one of history’s great slighted women. And it’s exactly this sort of nuanced performance that serves as strong evidence that she’d be a fantastic Thirteen.

The Doctor must be many things – hopeful, brave, compassionate, arrogant, furious, funny and weird all at once. He literally contains multitudes, and it’s a tall order for any actor or actress to handle. But Dormer has proven again and again that she can handle playing complicated women. After The Tudors, Dormer went on to play a lawyer in Silk, a supernatural creature on the Fades, and Katiss’ loyal film director in the Hunger Games films. She even has experience taking a well-known male character and turning them into a woman. After all, her Irene Adler turned out to be a genderswapped Moriarty on Sherlock Holmes series Elementary.

Dormer recently wrapped her role as fan favorite schemer Margaery Tyrell on Game of Thrones, so it kind of seems like the perfect time to upgrade the actress to a leading role of her own. It’s hard to guess what her Thirteen might be like – but she would certainly be exciting.

Period garb is a good look for Rufus Sewell, as evidenced by this still from “Victoria”. (Photo: Courtesy ITV Plc)

Rufus Sewell

Rufus Sewell may be a little bit on the older side for an actor having his first major heartthrob moment, but, here we are. Sewell recently starred as Lord Melbourne, Queen Victoria’s first Prime Minister, in popular period drama Victoria. And “starred” kind of means “stole,” in this particular instance. His dreamy portrayal of the brooding Lord M, who chose duty over his obvious romantic feelings for the queen, had pretty much everyone swooning. That’s the kind of charisma we need in a Doctor Who lead, yeah? And it certainly doesn’t hurt that he’s dishy as hell.

Sewell also earned rave reviews recently for his portrayal of the villainous Nazi John Smith in The Man in the High Castle. So he can clearly play any kind of character – good, bad, or in-between – and still be compelling. Plus, if you believe this report from back in the day, Sewell was considered for the part of the Doctor once before. According to rumor, he was on the casting list for the Eighth Doctor in the 1996 TV movie. To be fair, that list consisted of literally dozens of names, and almost everyone you know from British TV appears to be on it. But, still. (Fun fact: Sewell would have been the youngest Doctor ever back then. He would have only been about 18 at the time.)

Sewell might be an unexpected choice – he’s still got a major part in High Castle, after all. And he regularly does theater gigs in between roles. So, he could be something of a scheduling conundrum, particularly given that Who likes to film for months at a time. But he’d definitely be worth it.

Fantasy series “Merlin” offered Alexander Vlahos his breakout role as Mordred. (Photo: BBC)

Alexander Vlahos

Alexander Vlahos is the kind of actor whose career has reached just about the perfect point to play the Doctor. His resume is relatively short, but features several impressive roles. He’s young, attractive and charming. Plus, he’s Welsh, which is something we haven’t actually done yet, as far as Time Lords go. (Doctor Who has loads of ties to Wales, and films most of its episodes there. A Welsh Doctor might be a nice tip of the hat to the region.)

Vlahos made a big splash playing Mordred in BBC fantasy series Merlin. Rather than lean in to the idea of the young druid destined to kill Arthur as a strictly “evil” character, Vlahos played him as full of conflict and contradictions. Even though we all knew Mordred’s fate, he was extremely sympathetic, even tragic, at times. And Vlahos’ portrayal had a lot to do with that, and showed off an acting range that would make him a great Doctor.

Vlahos is currently starring in period drama Versailles (which is worth a look if you haven’t seen it), but he’s a big Doctor Who fan. He told Digital Spy that he’s “really proud” of the show.

"“Does that make sense? I think it’s such a great show. There were connotations that came with it from the ’80s, of it being a joke of sorts… now it’s become this flagship show for the BBC. It’s such a moneymaker but it’s also so high quality.”"

Plus, Vlahos very much wants to play Thirteen, and is already campaigning for the job on Twitter. Seriously. He’s even tried to start a hashtag about it. (It’s #VlahosforWho, if you’re curious.)

Hayley Atwell in “Captain America: The First Avenger”. (Photo: Marvel Studios)

Hayley Atwell

Everyone loves Hayley Atwell. Everyone. She’s best known as Agent Peggy Carter, all around badass SHIELD agent, girlfriend of Captain America, and general life goals for humanity. Seriously, Atwell is amazing. Gorgeous, charming, fierce and vulnerable, she’s got everything you could ever want in a Doctor. She’s proven she can carry a show as an actress, and that she can portray a character who has to carry the weight of the world with them. And, hey, a lot of people out there would really like to see a Time Lady this time around instead of a Time Lord. Atwell would cover all those bases, and be an amazing addition to the franchise at the same time.

Furthermore, Atwell comes with a built in fanbase from her work with Marvel, her previous series Agent Carter and her short-lived legal drama Conviction. Talk about brining new viewers to Doctor Who fandom, right? It’s a perfect, easy way to grow the show’s audience among the type of dedicated (okay, fine: obsessive) viewers most likely to also tell their friends to tune in, too. And just think about all the Agent Carter crossover cosplays.

However, Atwell just got cast in a BBC television adaptation of Howard’s End alongside Matthew Macfadyen. So she might be a little too busy to be the first female Time Lord at the moment. But that’s also looking like a one-season show, and there are already rumors of Season 11 of Doctor Who taking its time to get to our televisions. So, it’s probably not a dealbreaker. We’d hope.

In HBO series “Game of Thrones”, Richard Madden played the fan favorite (and sadly doomed) Robb Stark. (Photo: HBO)

Richard Madden

Richard Madden is such a perfect choice to play the Doctor that it’s almost like he was assembled in a lab. The former Game of Thrones star is a talented actor, extremely easy on the eyes, and already beloved by nerds everywhere. What more could you possibly want? Madden’s turn as tragic King in the North Robb Stark broke all of our hearts. (To be honest, some of us still aren’t over it.) He definitely deserves another chance to play a world-saving hero, and Thirteen seems just about perfect for him.

Madden is also apparently a huge fan of the show. He has long been rumored as a favorite potential replacement for Capaldi. (We’re talking like several years worth of rumors. That’s a lot of smoke if there’s no fire. Just saying.) And it’s easy to see why – he certainly ticks a lot of boxes when it comes to a casting wish list. He’s young, charming, very good looking, and he comes with his own built in fanbase from Game of Thrones. He’s also a big sci-fi nerd, apparently, lending a certain element of sincerity and Whovian camaraderie that really just cannot be faked.

Interestingly enough, Madden used to date former Who companion Jenna Coleman. So he’s definitely familiar with the stressful schedules and promotional obligations that come with the role. And he still reportedly wants the part anyway! (And now that Coleman’s gone on to star in her own show – the period drama Victoria – his addition to the Who cast wouldn’t be nearly as weird.)

Olivia Colman in “Broadchurch” with her very familiar co-star – former Doctor David Tennant. (Photo: ITV)

Olivia Colman

There is a lot of talk swirling around that Doctor Who is finally going to cast a woman to play the Doctor when Peter Capaldi exits the TARDIS later this year. This would, of course, be an awesome idea. And the possibility seems closer than ever before. Who might play the first female Doctor, though? That’s a more difficult question. But one of the current frontrunners in this particular corner of the rumor mill is BAFTA and Golden Globe-winning actress Olivia Colman.

This makes sense for a lot of reasons. To start with, Colman is a phenomenal performer. She’s got the awards hardware to prove it. And she’s been in everything from silly comedy to serious drama. She’d be a great choice for Thirteen. Plus, she has something of an inside track. Colman has already worked extensively with incoming Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall. He created the crime drama Broadchurch, where Colman has pretty much been giving the performance of her life for the past three years. So they’re obviously very familiar with one another’s work and style.

In a big stakes outing like Doctor Who, people often like to work with folks they already know. It would make complete sense for Chibnall to want to keep working with her. And there’s a little bit of Who history on her side, too. She’s Tenth Doctor David Tennant’s pick to replace Peter Capaldi, and that has to count for something, right? Tennant told the Telegraph that his Broadchurch co-star “would clearly be a magnificent choice” for the role. And he’s right. She would be.

Kris Marshall in “Death and Paradise” (Photo: BBC)

Kris Marshall

You know Kris Marshall. He’s Colin from Love Actually. You know, the sort of goofy Brit who heads to the wilds of Wisconsin to meet American women? Yeah, that guy. Well, what you might not know is that he’s also a successful actor with roles that go well beyond everyone’s favorite holiday rom-com. And he’s a big favorite among the bookies of London to play the Thirteenth Doctor.

At one point, Marshall was so popular with the gambling houses that all bets were suspended on him as a potential Doctor candidate. That’s kind of as close as you can get to people thinking you’re a sure thing. The rumor mill about his potential involvement on Who got a big boost earlier this year. Mostly because the biggest block to Marshall’s participation suddenly got removed. For the past few years, Marshall starred in popular British mystery series Death in Paradise, which chronicled the crime solving adventures of a detective on the fictional island of St. Marie. Well, he just left the show, after four years in the role. And, oddly enough, this happened right around the same time that Peter Capaldi announced his exit from Doctor Who.

Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean anything. The Death in Paradise gig is apparently pretty grueling, and requires a six-month stint in the Carribbean for filming ever year. (The first guy in the role didn’t even make it three full seasons. Paradise is rough, it seems.) It might be a total coincidence. And Marshall might not be interested in taking on such another big role straight away. (After all, he’s got two small kids at home.) But…it’s Doctor Who. And the Doctor is the kind of role that people do crazy things for.

Sacha Dhawan in “Doctor Who” anniversary film “An Adventure in Space and Time”. (Photo: BBC)

Sacha Dhawan

You probably don’t know Sacha Dhawan’s name, but it’s a pretty safe bet you’ve seen him before. Especially if you sat through the most recent Marvel Netflix series, Iron Fist. (He played Davos in it.) But he’s actually been in a ton of different types of series. He’s appeared in everything from period dramas (Mr. Selfridge) to more contemporary series (Last Tango in Halifax, Line of Duty) to comedies (Outsourced). Yet somehow, he remains largely unknown to the populace at large. Translation: He’s a perfect Thirteenth Doctor candidate. Doctor Who loves to cast people who are sitting right about where Dhawan is, career-wise, and turn them into global stars. (Remember: Peter Capaldi is an anomaly. As a general rule, the show doesn’t like to cast people who are as well known as he was.)

Plus, Dhawan comes complete with a built-in Doctor Who connection. Sort of. He played Waris Hussein, the series’ original director, in the drama An Adventure in Space and Time. This one-off biopic, released as part of Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary celebration, told the story of the series’ early days with First Doctor William Hartnell. (PS: If you are a Whovian and for some reason you’ve never seen this? Please go watch it immediately. It’s amazing.)

And not for nothing, but Dhawan himself seems pretty keen to play the Doctor. “Oh my God, I’d absolutely love to,” he said when asked by the Radio Times about his interest in the part. “I SO would love to.” He’s also openly in favor of seeing the show make a more progressive casting decision with Thirteen. He’d even prefer to see the Doctor cast as a woman this time around, even if that would obviously diminish his own shot at the role. But if the BBC isn’t ready to quite go that far, as a British man of Indian descent Dhawan himself would mark a certain amount of progress for the show, should he manage to snag the role. (He would be the first non-white Doctor, after all.) And he’d be really good at it too, which is probably the most important thing.

“Doctor Strange”‘s Ancient One, played by Tilda Swinton (Photo: Marvel/Marvel Studios)

Tilda Swinton

Tilda Swinton is pretty much already a perfect, otherworldly alien in real life, so why not let her play one on TV? She’s well known for her androgynous look and her chameleon-like ability to morph into almost any sort of role. A tremendous actress, Swinton would be an amazing choice to play the Doctor. Her performance would certainly never be boring, and would likely further highlight the strange, alien nature of the Time Lord.

Swinton is an Oscar-winner (for Michael Clayton) and has played everything from a goth vampire to a glam rock star to an evil sorceress controlling all of Narnia. Most recently, she played the Ancient One, a sort of mystical Yoda to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange in the Marvel film of the same name. And since she shaved her head to play the Ancient One, basically her Doctor could be or look like anything. SO many possibilities.

Former Eighth Doctor Paul McGann is apparently a fan of her taking over as Thirteen. And Swinton is also a current favorite of the London bookies taking odds on the Who casting announcement. That doesn’t necessarily mean anything – bookies will take bets on everything, after all. But it’s still kind of nice to see public sentiment so strongly favor a woman getting the part. And Swinton, to be clear, would be an incredible choice for the Doctor. If the woman can hold her own starring in the most David Bowie-ish music video of all time with David Bowie himself, she can do anything.

Richard Ayoade in “The IT Crowd”. (Photo: Channel 4)

Richard Ayoade

Whenever it comes time to talk about the possibility of a new Doctor, Richard Ayoade’s name almost always comes up. The quirky actor is a mainstay in the world of British comedy. But he is probably best known to American audiences as the socially awkward Maurice Moss on The IT Crowd. And with good reason – he steals every scene he’s in. Plus, he does get most of the best lines. (And Moss is just the best.)

As an actor, Ayoade exudes the sort of smart, easy intelligence that’s the hallmark of the Doctor. He’s charming, witty and extremely easy to like. Plus, he’d bring a certain kind of nerdy feel back to the Doctor that we haven’t really seen since David Tennant was in the role. It’s incredibly easy to imagine him in the part, which is usually the hallmark of a solid pick. And the London bookies clearly see this too. According to them, Ayoade consistently has rather high odds in the ongoing betting about which actor or actress will end up playing Thirteen.

Unfortunately, Ayoade’s schedule may have become so crowded now that becoming the Doctor may be out of the question for him. He just signed on to serve as the host for Channel 4’s upcoming reboot of The Crystal Maze. Rumors also swirled that he would take over as a host on the network’s revamped version of The Great British Baking Show (though that ultimately fell through). He also frequently appears as a guest on panel and discussion shows in the U.K., and is eminently likeable on them. But it means that he doesn’t exactly have a ton of free time.

Andrew Buchan in a “Broadchurch” promotional poster. (Photo: ITV)

Andrew Buchan

You probably have never heard of Andrew Buchan. And isn’t that how Doctor Who casting usually works? He’s a hardworking British character actor with a fairly extensive resume. Most of his roles are good ones. He’s a solid performer. But he’s yet to have a true “breakout” role. For the moment, he’s definitely more of a “Hey! It’s That Guy!” type. You might know him from period dramas like Garrow’s Law or Cranford, which were staples on PBS stations here in America. Maybe you saw his 2009 crime drama The Fixer, which for some reason is just now making its way to public television stations here in the States.

However, Buchan is probably best known these days for his work on mystery series Broadchurch, which also stars former Doctor David Tennant. Buchan plays Mark Latimer, a suffering everyman whose son’s murder becomes the case around which the whole show turns. By turns sympathetic, unlikeable and sometimes downright creepy, Buchan’s performance is certainly a memorable one. There’s no doubt he’d be more than capable as the Doctor. And he’s a relentlessly “normal” sort of actor, who could probably appeal to every possible set of viewers.

Plus, Buchan has an established connection with incoming Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall. (Chibnall is also the creator of Broadchurch.) Of course that doesn’t guarantee Buchan the role or anything like that. We can joke about nepotism all we want, but getting cast as the Doctor probably takes just a bit more than that. Nevertheless, rumor has it that he’s a personal favorite of Chibnall’s to play Thirteen. We’ll have to wait and see.

A very dreamy shot of Jack Davenport in period medical drama “Breathless” (Photo: Masterpiece/ITV Studios)

Jack Davenport

Jack Davenport is one of those British actors who has been in every kind of show. He’s done comedies (Coupling) and dramas (Breathless, Ultraviolet). He’s appeared in feature films (the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Kingsman) and on American television (Smash, Flashforward). His resume is very impressive and full of all kinds of things. But while he has a couple of things in post-production at the moment, he’s not exactly working on a huge new project at present. Sounds like a perfect time for him to dive into something new, yeah? Possibly a massively popular sci-fi franchise?

Davenport’s a charming actor, and has broad appeal. And he’s proven capable of playing a wide variety of roles. Plus he’s also a star at reciting long sets of dialogue in an incredibly believable way, no matter how silly, ridiculous or otherwise strange the words might be. Not for nothing, but that’s basically what a good 60% of playing the Doctor is. Running around doing a lot of monologues, some of which are humorous and some of which are dramatic. Right?

Most importantly, Davenport is also extremely dreamy. This isn’t really the most important thing, of course. His acting ability is obviously a bigger deal. But the fact that he’s very easy on the eyes certainly can’t hurt. If we’re all banking on the fact that the BBC wants to cast someone that will be both exciting to watch and fairly swoon-worthy at the same time, then Davenport is a natural choice. I mean, have you seen the promo photos from Breathless, that 1960s period drama he did? It’s a good look on him. Just saying. Maybe a sonic screwdriver and some kind of dramatic jacket would be too.

Brooke at her crazy best in “Sherlock”. (Photo: Courtesy of Laurence Cendrowicz/Hartswood Films & MASTERPIECE)

Sian Brooke

Sian Brooke is an actress whose name you may not know, but whose breakout performance you definitely remember. She played Eurus, the sister we never knew that the Holmes brothers had, on popular BBC mystery series Sherlock. Eurus was deeply creepy – mentally disturbed, emotionally broken, and apparently capable of bending almost anyone to her supervillain-esque will. A master of disguise, Eurus used multiple identities to manipulate her brothers and literally built an island fortress of deadly traps and puzzles for fun. While the story surrounding this character is kind of (a lot) nonsensical, Brooke’s performance is tremendous. She plays roughly four different characters within one, and the actress throws herself into it with admirable gusto. At various points terrifying, chilling, sympathetic and pitiful, Brooke is generally miles above the material she’s playing.

Brooke’s resume beyond Sherlock is fairly limited, with small roles in British TV staples such as Inspector Lewis, Silk, New Tricks, Doc Martin and Midsomer Murders. But then she played Ophelia to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Hamlet in the mega-popular London stage production. That’s how the two met, and how, one must presume, she first came to know Team Sherlock.

The Doctor Who crew love to cast up and coming actors with minimal previous exposure. And while many people will remember Brooke from her role on Sherlock, her, most won’t know much about her beyond that. In other words, she’s a perfect candidate to play Thirteen. And her Sherlock performance already illustrated that she’s capable of playing virtually anything. What would her Doctor look like? There’s almost no way to know. And that’s very exciting.

Harry Melling as Gilli in the BBC fantasy series “Merlin”. (Photo: BBC)

Harry Melling

Harry Melling is best known for his role as Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films. (Or probably best known as Dudley. It’s a safe bet that only the most hard-core Potter heads knew his actual name prior to right now.) Like most of the other Potter actors, he grew up onscreen, but unlike his co-stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson, he’s generally kept a low profile in the years afterward. That’s finally starting to change, and a big, splashy role as the lead on Doctor Who could be a natural next step for his career. (You’d certainly know his name after that.)

Post Potter, Melling appeared in a handful of TV roles, including on Garrow’s Law, Merlin and The Musketeers.  He’s got a significant role in upcoming film The Lost City of Z. And he’s done some solid theater work, including King Lear and Hand of God.

He’s young, very easy on the eyes, and comes with a built-in fanbase of young viewers, thanks to the Potter phenomenon.  If the BBC really does want to go back to a Matt Smith-era set up, with a younger Doctor to splash on merchandise and encourage teen girls to swoon over, then Melling is a perfect choice. No really. Why? Let’s just say he definitely doesn’t look like Dudley anymore. At. All.

Melling even has an existing connection to Doctor Who, though he’s never appeared in the show. He’s the grandson of Patrick Troughton, who played the Second Doctor in the 1960s. Troughton died before Melling was born. But the young actor has already said he’d like to follow his grandfather’s footsteps into the TARDIS. Talk about a perfect casting story!

Phoebe Waller-Bridge in “Fleabag”. (Photo: Amazon Studios)

Phoebe Waller-Bridge

Everyone loves BBC Three/Amazon comedy Fleabag, and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s is a big part of why. Funny, sly, smart and emotionally devastating by turns, her performance as the titular Fleabag is making waves everywhere. So much so that she’s being eyed for a role in the upcoming Han Solo Star Wars prequel. And she’s also now sitting near the top of the oddmakers charts as the candidate most likely to succeed outgoing Doctor Peter Capaldi. Some of this seems like just so much internet gossip. After all, whenever anyone has a breakout hit like Fleabag, suddenly they’re reportedly in the running for everything under the sun. That doesn’t necessarily make it true. But if Waller-Bridge is in the running to play Thirteen? She’d be a great choice.

Besides Fleabag, Waller-Bridge has had solid roles in Crashing, Blandings, The Café and The Iron Lady, to name just a few. She also played a major part in the second season of Broadchurch as Abby Thompson, the barrister to accused murderer Joe Miller. More importantly, this means she already possess a solid working relationship with Chris Chibnall, the new showrunner for Doctor Who. That doesn’t necessarily mean her casting is a lock or anything – just that it’s not uncommon for show executives to want to cast people they know. It’s a point in her favor, that’s for sure.

However, Waller-Bridge’s success may prove an ultimate obstacle to her playing Thirteen. A second season of Fleabag is in the works already. And should she land that Han Solo role, she’d likely be much too busy to take on a role as demanding as the Doctor. No matter how great at the part she might be.

Ben Daniels in Season 2 of period drama “The Paradise”. (Photo: BBC)

Ben Daniels

Ben Daniels apparently keeps getting this close to playing the Doctor. Rumors surrounded him back during the Twelfth Doctor’s casting – his name just kept coming up in story after story. (He too was a bookie’s favorite at one point. So watch out, Ben Whishaw.) And according to an interview he gave Digital Spy back then, there was a reason for that. Because he almost got the part. Obviously, Daniels was ultimately edged out by current Doctor Peter Capaldi. But it sounds as though he got quite close in the Doctor Who casting sweepstakes. Just not close enough.

Daniels boasts an extensive resume, with performances in everything from period dramas to muder mysteries to procedurals. He starred opposite former Doctor Who companion Freema Agyeman in Law and Order UK, and had major recent roles in The Paradise, House of Cards, Flesh Jamaica Inn and the latest series of The Hollow Crown. Currently, he’s starring on FOX’s TV adaptation of famous horror movie The Exorcist. The show didn’t exactly kill it as far as ratings go, so there’s no guarantee it’ll return for a second season. Maybe Daniels is about to need a new job? Of course, it’s equally likely that The Exorcist sitting in production limbo while Who casting decisions get made might take Daniels out of the running entirely. But who knows? The world of television is real weird.

Daniels is a huge fan of the show, apparently. In fact, he’s the kind of fan that both watched it as a kid (Pertwee enthusiast) and also when it came back with Christopher Eccleston in 2005. So if we have to have another Doctor who’s both white and male, well. At least let the part go to a fan who might infuse the role with something layered and interesting. While Daniels is a bit older than it would seem the BBC is aiming for at present, he’s still very dishy. (Shallow, I realize, but true.) There’s something to be said for a slightly more distinguished gentleman kind of vibe. It could definitely work.

Actor Chiwetel Ejiofor arrives at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles, CA on August 25, 2014. (Photo By Adam Orchon/Sipa USA)

Chiwetel Ejiofor

Chiwetel Ejiofor is generally acknowledged to be one of the finest actors working today. He scored a (very deserved) Best Actor nomination in 2013 for his (phenomenal) performance in the Academy Award-winning film 12 Years a Slave. And let’s be real – he probably should have gone home with the statue that night. Besides that, he’s starred many solid films and television shows, including The Shadow Line, Dancing on the Edge, Children of Men and The Martian. Most recently, he starred opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in Marvel’s superhero hit Doctor Strange. Ejiofor is amazing, basically. And he would make an absolutely incredible Thirteen. You don’t’ have to just take my word for it either – several folks behind the scenes of the show already seem to think so.

 A fairly long-running rumor seems to suggest that Ejiofor may have had a close encounter with the Doctor Who casting department once before. Showrunner Steve Moffat, speaking on the issue of diversity on the show, told Doctor Who Magazine that a black actor had almost been cast as the Doctor at one point. (This interview occurred back when Matt Smith was the Doctor so, ostensibly, this must be about David Tennant’s successor, who obviously did turn out to be Smith.)

According to Moffat:

"“Two non-white leads in Doctor Who would be amazing. In fact, a lot of people would barely notice…I certainly don’t think there’s ever been a problem with making the Doctor black, which is why it should happen one day. I mean, we’ve tried. The part has been offered to a black actor. But for various reasons, it didn’t work out.”"

And word on the street – or at least, in the Radio Times – seems to suggest that actor who turned the role down was Ejiofor. When Smith turned in his TARDIS key, Ejiofor’s name frequently got mentioned as a potential replacement. But nothing came of that again, and Capaldi became Twelve. Could we get third time lucky with Thirteen? Ejiofor would be an incredible choice. And who wouldn’t want an Oscar nominee to play the Doctor?

Dramatic in both performance and look, Janet Montgomery was aces in “Salem”. (Photo: WGN America)

Janet Montgomery

There are many women who would make fantastic choices to play Doctor Who’s Thirteenth Doctor. (So, so many women. Why have you taken this long, show?) actress Janet Montgomery is one of them. She’s also someone that you’ve likely never seriously considered for the role. Probably because you’re not entirely sure who she is, but that’s a problem that’s easy enough to fix.

Montgomery’s had several notable TV appearances, including roles on Human Target, Black Mirror, Spies of Warsaw, Dancing on the Edge and This is Us. She’s the sort of actress who’s been in a lot of things you may have seen. She just hasn’t exactly had a breakout mainstream role yet. This is a shame, because she’s a tremendously talented actress who basically seems as though she could handle anything, you throw at her, performance-wise. In short: It’s the perfect for her to land a big, splashy role in Doctor Who.

Montgomery just recently wrapped her biggest role to date, a three-year run on WGN America witch drama Salem. In it, she played Mary Sibley, the dark coven leader who did everything from lie to steal to murder to further her own ambitions. (There was maybe some literal selling her soul to Satan in there too.) But no matter how grisly her character’s actions, Montgomery’s performance still kept Mary sympathetic. And she’s an incredible ugly crier. Not that I think the first female Doctor should have to cry all the time. But it’s an emotional show, and things happen. And Montgomery’s the kind of nuanced performer that could pull it off.

BBC fantasy drama “Merlin” didn’t provide Colin Morgan with the most fashionable outfits, maybe. (Photo: BBC)

Colin Morgan

Colin Morgan has already played one of the most famous sorcerers the world has ever known, why not sign him up for one of its most famous sci-fi icons too? Morgan starred in the BBC drama Merlin for five seasons, winning rave reviews for his vulnerable, conflicted, often dorky young wizard. He’s charming, generally adorable, and great at playing both humor and pathos. What’s not to like, here? He’d be a great Doctor, and maybe even introduce a little bit of lighthearted silliness back into the show.

Plus, casting Morgan would continue the Doctor Who tradition of reusing actors in main roles who once played bit parts on the series. Like Peter Capaldi and Karen Gillan before him, Morgan is already a Who alum. He played Jethro, an angsty young man featured in creeptastic Season 4 episode “Midnight” opposite David Tennant. And if the show can come up with a reason for Capaldi to be both the Twelfth Doctor and that Roman guy from “The Fires of Pompeii,” they can handle this too.

Unfortunately, the former Merlin star doesn’t seem that interested in the part. He’s currently starring in the AMC drama Humans, and seems fairly happy where he is. He’s also repeatedly said he’s not chasing the role of the Doctor.

But, on the plus side, he’s not completely ruling it out either.

"“It all comes around, I guess, when the re-generation of the new Doctor comes along. It’s been asked of me before. I guess, in all honesty, it’s not something I have my sights set on at the moment, but who knows?”"

In addition to being an extremely capable actor, Morgan would also bring his sizable online fanbase along with him to Doctor Who. A win-win, for everyone, right?

Tatiana Maslany in one of her roles in “Orphan Black”. (Photo: BBC America)

Tatiana Maslany

Look, we’ve already seen that Tatiana Maslany can play something like eight roles at one time. Moving on to playing the Doctor would probably be like a vacation for her, right? Honestly, Maslany’s incredible performance on Orphan Black has set a new bar for what’s possible in sci-fi television. She’s amazing. There’s basically nothing she can’t do as an actress. So there’s no doubt that she would be an incredible Doctor. Let’s put it this way: She got an Emmy nomination for starring in a sci-fi show. That’s so rare it’s like finding a unicorn in your backyard. Just think about what she could do with this part. There’s no direction that the show couldn’t take.

Of course, it also goes without saying that Maslany would be the first female Doctor. And as much as we all want to see a Time Lady regeneration happen, the show basically needs to knock it out of the park, casting-wise, for this to work. (You just know there will be plenty of people waiting to pounce and criticize every detail of everything the first time the show casts a woman.) So it’s great that not only is Maslany super talented, she’s apparently also a huge Doctor Who fan. So much so that she says she’d be nervous about starring in it.

And, since so many of the corporation’s concerns about this next Doctor seem to be about what kind of audience they can attract, the BBC can rest easy in knowing that Maslany also comes with her own built-in fanbase. The Clone Club is super dedicated, and will likely follow Maslany en masse to her next project. Sure, a lot of those folks might be Who fans already. (The Venn diagram of geek shows is complicated, after all). But a lot of them probably aren’t. What better way to get them to start watching?

David Oyelowo arrives to the Pioneer of the Year Dinner red carpet during CinemaCon at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nev., on March 29, 2017. (Photo by Jason Ogulnik) *** Please Use Credit from Credit Field ***

David Oyelowo

David Oyelowo is a bit of an “It Actor” at the moment, but he totally deserves all the interest and acclaim. He’s super talented, a thoughtful performer and seems like a rather amazing person on top of all that. Oyelowo might be best known for his breakthrough role as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, in the Academy Award-nominated film Selma. But he’s had many great roles over the years in both television and film, including A United Kingdom, Nightingale, Queen of Katwe, MI-5/Spooks, Star Wars Rebels and more. He’s also done a ton of theater work, and even voiced James Bond in audiobooks.

Interestingly, Oyelowo also has absolutely no qualms weighing in on the many representation issues within the entertainment industry. In the past, he commented on everything from Game of Thrones’ lack of diversity to the film industry’s reluctance to hire female directors. (And he puts his money where his mouth is on that latter issue, actively seeking out female directors to work with himself.) He’s the sort of crusader that the Doctor would definitely approve of, so obviously he’d be a perfect choice to play the character.

Oh, and Oyelowo has even previously advocated for casting a woman and/or a person of color as Thirteen. After several years of Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who – which was often brilliant, but plagued by concerns about the way the series’ depicted women – it might not be the worst idea in the world to cast a leading man willing to speak openly about these issues and how the industry could improve.

Maggie Smith, looking appropriately judgy as the Dowager Countess. (Photo: Courtesy of Nick Briggs/Carnival Film & Television Limited 2015 for MASTERPIECE)

Maggie Smith

Given that some of the folks behind-the-scenes at Doctor Who seem to think that current Doctor Peter Capaldi is too old for the role, this little bit of dream casting would clearly never happen. But just take a minute and try to imagine Dame Maggie Smith in the TARDIS. Dame Maggie wielding a sonic screwdriver. The Dowager Countess going toe-to-toe with a Dalek. Ah, such stuff as dreams are made of, right?

These days, Smith is probably best known for two things: Zinging everyone with great one-liners on Downton Abbey, and playing Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter films. But her professional resume is long and varied, extending all the way back to the 1960s. And she’s done everything from Shakespeare to Sister Act along the way. A handful of her other notable roles include Gosford Park, Tea with Mussolini, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, A Room with a View and lots, lots more. She’s been nominated for a ton of awards, and these days makes a point to never attend the ceremonies. Dame Maggie Smith is life goals, y’all.

And she would be a fantastic Doctor. Smith is a tremendously talented actress, able to play everything from steel to sensitivity easily. Her imperious nature screams Time Lord. And we could probably just start calling her “The Oncoming Storm” in real life right now. Plus, who better to finally usher in the long-awaited moment where the Doctor regenerates as a woman? Who is going to take less crap from irritated fanboys that Who made a progressive casting decision? Leave it to Dame Maggie. She’d have it handled quicker than Olivia Pope.

Iwan Rheon as Ramsay Bolton on “Game of Thrones”. (Photo: HBO)

Iwan Rheon

If you’re only familiar with Iwan Rheon’s work as the walking human nightmare Ramsay Bolton on Game of Thrones, you might think this is kind of a strange pick. Though to be fair, Rheon’s performance as Ramsay was electrifying in its awfulness, surely a sign of a strong actor. And his resume beyond this role is stellar, with a lot of strong roles that more than show his range as an actor.

Prior to Thrones, Rheon was probably best known for his performance as Simon on E4’s Misfits. The show, a sort of teen version of Heroes, told the story of a group of young offenders working community service together who end up with superpowers. Simon’s power was invisibility, meant to reflect his personal struggles with shyness and feeling ignored by others. He eventually becomes a superhero in his own right, and his journey made for pretty great TV. In fact, Rheon ended up having to play two versions of himself, as time travel was of course involved. And he was really great at it. (Simon was one of the best parts of Misfits, and the show was never really the same once Rheon left following Season 3.)

Unfortunately, this particular bit of fancasting seems extremely unlikely, given that Rheon just landed a lead role on Marvel’s upcoming Inhumans series. Unless the this latest big Marvel property flops (which seems unlikely), he’ll probably be too busy to take on a time commitment like Doctor Who. But we can dream, right? I imagine that his Thirteen would be something along the lines of Misfits’ Simon, personality-wise, but with some of the adorableness of Ash from Vicious thrown on top for good measure. (And we already know that he’ll be great at doing the darker episodes, yeah?)

Idris Elba in crime drama “Luther”. (Photo: BBC)

Idris Elba

There probably isn’t a list of “People Who Could Play the Next Doctor!” out there that doesn’t have Idris Elba on it. He’s one of the few casting choices that virtually everyone on Earth would agree with and applaud. Instantly. It would make everyone happy. Which is obviously why the BBC should just give him whatever he wants to do it.

That decision might be out of their hands, though. No matter how much we all might want Elba to join Doctor Who – he’s kind of a little busy these days. He’s the kind of phenomenal actor that everybody wants in their projects. Elba’s done a little bit of everything. He’s played a semi-ethical drug lord on The Wire. He’s played a tortured detective in Luther. And he canceled the apocalypse in Pacific Rim. (Among a ton of other roles, of course.) He’s even a D.J. in his spare time. Elba can clearly handle any kind of role. This is most clearly evidenced by the fact that he’s also on everyone’s short list to play the next James Bond. Just imagine what kind of amazing badass his Doctor would be?

But if we’re honest, as fantastic as he’d be as Thirteen? We probably all also know that Elba’s kind of gone beyond Doctor Who at this point. He’s a major star in his own right and seems to have no shortage of work. His next big movie is an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series and his film career beyond that seems to be expanding on a virtually daily basis. But he’d be so incredible in the part, that it’s hard not to daydream about him. Even if it’s probably wishful thinking.

Helen Mirren as Jane Tennyson in long-running crime drama “Prime Suspect”. (Photo: ITV)

Helen Mirren

Let’s be honest, as a people, we have probably not done anything in the past year which was good enough for the cosmos to ever reward us with this casting decision. But we can dream, right? Helen Mirren is basically perfect, and we should all be so lucky that she’d ever grace Doctor Who with her presence. That she’d be amazing is a given. That she’d probably never actually play the Doctor anyway, almost equally so. But just think about it. From the clothes, to the snappy one-liners, to the withering stares, she’d be incredible. A Thirteen for the ages. And if we’re going to aim to shake up the franchise by finally casting a woman, shouldn’t we aim as high as possible?

There are very few actresses who exist in the same strata of excellence as Mirren. Only a handful of other women are even remotely on her level, and they all come with “Dame” in front of their names. Think Maggie Smith, Judi Dench or Diana Rigg. Mirren has played every kind of role, from a troubled police detective in Prime Suspect to the Queen of England herself – multiple times. (She not only won an Oscar for playing Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen, she won multiple theater awards for tackling the role a second time on stage in the play The Audience.) She can do anything, and that definitely includes being the Doctor.

Unfortunately, no matter how much we might like to see the Queen step into the TARDIS, Mirren herself doesn’t seem that keen on the part. However, she’s a big fan of the idea that the show needs to become more progressive in its casting decisions. In fact, Mirren has been pushing for a female Doctor for years, and was one of the first big celebrity voices on the subject. “I’m not going to be the first female Doctor Who. No, no, no. Absolutely not, I absolutely wouldn’t contemplate that,” Mirren told the morning show Daybreak back in 2013. “But I do think it’s well over-time to have a female Doctor Who,” she said. “I think a gay, black female Doctor Who would be best of all.”

Rupert Grint as “Harry Potter’s” Ron Weasley. (Photo: Warner Bros Pictures)

Rupert Grint

Though the Harry Potter movies are long over, the franchise’s main trio remain very involved in the world of film and entertainment. Stars Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson have both been in a ton of post-Potter projects. Radcliffe has done his best to play as many roles that different from Harry as possible (Kill Your Darlings, Victor Frankenstein), while Watson starred in the super-successful live action version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. (She’s also become something of a feminist activist.) But Grint’s post-Potter career has been a bit quieter. He starred in the television adaptation of Snatch, and performed in multiple theater productions in London’s West End. But he certainly hasn’t had a role quite as big as Ron Weasley. At least, not yet.

Playing the Thirteenth Doctor would, of course, change all that. And as an actor Grint checks a lot of boxes for production folks worried about the future of the show. He’s young, up and coming actor with a name that’s definitely recognizable, but that doesn’t rise to the level of “stunt casting”. (Certainly not in the way that someone like, say, a Radcliffe would.) He’s incredibly charming, solid performer. And he comes complete with a built-in, vocal and a very demographically desirable (read: young) fanbase thanks to his Harry Potter role. Basically, he’s a marketer’s dream. His face would certainly increase the flagging sales of Who merchandise. (And it’s not like he’s not used to being part of a franchise that slaps a picture of him on everything, either.)

Would Grint take the role, though? Unclear. He’s apparently something of a Whovian and general geek, so it’s likely he’d be stoked at the opportunity. But would he want to take on another part that would upend his life in such a massive way? He’s already done it once, after all.

Eva Green in “Penny Dreadful”. (Photo: Showtime)

Eva Green

She may be a French actress by birth, but Eva Green would be a perfect choice to play this very British role. When Doctor Who finally decides to cast a female Doctor, that person is going to have to be fairly remarkable, and Green is certainly that. Career-wise, she’s played everything from a Bond girl (Casino Royale) to a witch queen (The Golden Compass) to Morgan Le Fay (Camelot) to the warrior leader of an ancient Greek city state (300: Rise of an Empire). Most recently she starred as Vanessa Ives in Showtime series Penny Dreadful, a powerful and emotionally tortured medium with many secrets. And she was phenomenal in it.

If you ever watched Penny Dreadful, you know that Green is not afraid to play dark, or to put herself through the emotional ringer in her performance. Watching her act is downright painful sometimes. And not because she’s terrible – the furthest thing from it actually – but because her performance is so gut-wrenching that it’s difficult to watch. That she would throw herself into the role of the Doctor with the same gusto seems obvious. It seems equally obvious that Thirteen would probably not require quite the same level of emotional rawness. But Green would be a perfect vehicle to tackle some of the darker aspects of the Doctor. Her take on the character would likely to wrestle with the more tragic elements of the Time Lord’s history, and that would doubtless be extremely interesting to watch.

Plus, if Green’s previous roles are anything to go by, you know her Thirteen would have a killer outfit.

Riz Ahmed walking the red carpet at the 2017 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Graydon Carter held at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills on February 26, 2017. (Photo by Sthanlee Mirador) *** Please Use Credit from Credit Field ***

Riz Ahmed

If the Doctor Who Powers That Be are looking to make a big splash with their announcement of the person playing Thirteen, they couldn’t do much better than Riz Ahmed. This talented British actor made a big splash recently playing Bodhi Rook in a popular little film called Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, but that was hardly his first great part. (Even if we all maybe didn’t know about them at the time.)

Ahmed recieved Golden Globe and a Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for his performance in 2016 HBO miniseries The Night Of. Over the past couple years, he also appeared in Netflix series The OA, as well as HBO’s Girls, the Jake Gyllenhaal drama Nightcrawler, and the latest Jason Bourne installment. So, he’s kind of everywhere at the moment. What better way to build buzz around the next Doctor than by casting someone who’s already something of an “It Guy” in the role? And, given that many fans are clamoring to see a more diverse casting choice for Thirteen, Ahmed seems a perfect pick on multiple levels. (Of course, he’s also very dreamy looking, which never hurts.)

To his credit, Ahmed himself also seems pretty fantastic in real life. And very progressive in his own right. He delivered the Channel 4 Diversity lecture to Parliament, which focused on the need for greater ethnic representation in the media. In the past, he spoke about the difficulty of finding work in the UK as a non-white actor. And he wrote essays about race and immigration. In short: He seems kind of incredible. Ahmed would be the best kind of ambassador for Doctor Who globally, particularly a Who that’s moving and looking toward the future.

Yes, that’s actor Rory Kinnear under all that Creature makeup, on horror drama “Penny Dreadful”. (Photo: Showtime)

Rory Kinnear

Rory Kinnear is one of those Serious British Actor types that’s extremely talented, but somehow hasn’t had a major breakout role yet. Though, if you watch any sort of British TV at all, you know who he is. You’ve probably seen him in a ton of things. American audiences are probably most familiar with him from his role as John Clare/the Creature in Showtime’s horror series Penny Dreadful. He’s also had a long-running part as Bill Tanner in the Daniel Craig set of James Bond films, appearing in Quantum of Solace, Skyfall and Spectre. Other roles of note include The Hollow Crown, The Casual Vacancy, The Imitation Game, The Mystery of Edwin Drood and a very memorable part in Black Mirror episode “The National Anthem”. (Yes, he played the Prime Minister.)

Kinnear has apparently long been a favorite of the Doctor Who team. Rumor has it that he got offered the part of the Twelfth Doctor before it went to Peter Capaldi. Kinnear himself sort of denied that story way back in 2013, so who knows how true it really is. Other interesting revelations from back then? He has apparently never watched the show. Which feels like a super weird trait in a potential Doctor candidate, but Kinnear’s a really good actor, so maybe we can forgive it. Not everyone can be the hardcore Whovian that Capaldi is, after all.

The only problem with the idea of Kinnear as Thirteen is that he’s precisely the kind of actor that the BBC probably doesn’t want in the role. At least not right now. He’s seems bit reserved and old-fashioned, the sort of classically-trained performer who’s probably never going to be the zany kind of Doctor that Matt Smith was. And while his Penny Dreadful performance proves that Kinnear can make familiar, well-trod sorts of roles feel fresh, will the BBC agree?

Hart in her self-titled comedy sitcom “Miranda” (Photo: BBC)

Miranda Hart

Many American viewers probably know Miranda Hart best as the awkward and charming Chummy from period drama Call the Midwife. But Hart’s career is based in comedy. She had regular roles on sitcoms such as Not Going Out and Hyperdrive, French & Saunders, The Vicar of Dibley and Absolutely Fabulous. In 2009, she got her own sitcom, named – appropriately enough – Miranda. Based on her own semi-autobiographical writing, the show became a big hit. And though Miranda ended in 2014, Hart kept busy with other projects. Most recently: that meant starring in a West End run of classic musical Annie. But, that doesn’t mean she couldn’t take on a role in the TARDIS.

Hart is best known for her comedic skills, particularly in all things involving physical comedy.  So casting her as Thirteen would virtually guarantee a return to a more humor-driven Doctor Who. To be fair, it’s not like the show lacked laughs in recent years. But let’s get real, Steven Moffat’s focus was always on more sweeping, tragic sorts of stories. It might be nice to watch Who and laugh regularly again. And her work on Call the Midwife has certainly proven that Hart has dramatic acting chops as well. (I mean, Chummy is virtually everyone’s favorite, and Hart’s recent absence from the show still hurts.) But would she take on the role of the Doctor?

If history is anything to go by, Hart’s answer seems a solid maybe. Back in 2013, she waved off rumors that she might replace Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith as “ridiculous”. And Hart’s got something of a dramatic history with the BBC and this show, already. Rumor has it that when Moffat offered her a “significant role” on Who, the BBC made her turn it down due to her commitments on Miranda. Now, this report comes from The Sun, which isn’t always the most reliable of news outlets. But if it’s at all true, would Hart ever even want a role on Doctor Who? Surely the Doctor is a role which is even more restrictive when it comes to actor’s secondary commitments? It’s hard to say.

Robert Sheehan as Nathan in “Misfits”. (Photo: E4/Clerkenwell Films)

Robert Sheehan

Robert Sheehan is another of those actors that you might have seen in something that you liked. You just maybe can’t remember his name. But you probably thought he was charming, anyway. If maybe a little bit strange. And isn’t charming and maybe a little bit strange kind of the most accurate description of the Doctor ever? It’s just further evidence that he’d be great in the role.

Like Iwan Rheon, Sheehan is also an alum of the E4 sci-fi series Misfits. It was his first played Nathan, a sarcastic, foul-mouthed, charmer who had the power of immortality. And he was really wonderful in the role – easy to love and really dislike in equal measure. (And often at the same time.) His early departure from that show is still such a disappointment, even all these years later. Sheehan also had significant roles on Accused, Me and Mrs. Jones, Love/Hate and Fortitude. He’s a great actor with a lot of range – it just seems as though, despite the success of Misfits, that he’s really kind of still waiting for his next big role. On the plus side, he’s still quite young. (He just turned 29 in January.) And obviously something like the Doctor would absolutely be that for him.

On Misfits, Sheehan displayed the kind of boundless manic energy that is a hallmark of the Doctor in recent seasons. (Think Matt Smith, but with the mania turned up to eleven pretty much all the time.) His character was relentlessly crass, and his foul-mouthed nature is something that couldn’t exactly transfer to Doctor Who. It is ostensibly a kids show, after all. But there’s something about that kind of edginess that usually translates into an interesting story, and it might be fun to see a bit of a darker, more rough-around-the edges sort of Doctor. (It was generally awesome whenever they let Peter Capaldi dip a toe into that sort of story. Maybe with Sheehan, we’d get more.)

McGrath can currently be seen playing Lena Luther on the CW drama “Supergirl” (Photo: The CW)

Katie McGrath

While Katie McGrath may be a bit of an unconventional pick to play the Thirteenth Doctor, she would certainly be an interesting one. She would make a fantastic Time Lady for multiple reasons – she’s beautiful, talented and comes with an extremely enthusiastic fanbase, many of whom are probably new to Doctor Who.

Though she initially wanted to be a fashion journalist, McGrath ended up trying acting while working as a wardrobe assistant on Showtime series The Tudors. Her real breakout role was as the Lady Morgana on popular BBC fantasy drama Merlin. Within the world of the show, her character ran the gamut from a heroine to a villainess and everything in between. She was sympathetic, infuriating and entertaining by terms. No matter how wild – or potentially nonsensical – Morgana’s story and motivations got, McGrath sold it. After Merlin ended, she went on to roles in Dracula, Labyrinth, Slasher, Frontier, Jurassic World and more.

Unfortunately – for the purposes of this fantasy casting anyway – McGrath might not be available to play the Doctor. She’s been playing Lena Luthor on the second season of CW drama Supergirl and just got upgraded to series regular status for Season 3. Now, this doesn’t mean that she wouldn’t be able to do any other jobs or anything. However, the scheduling demands involved in making Doctor Who are no joke, and would probably preclude having almost any other role. If she were still recurring on Supergirl? Maybe it works out. But with her new regular status, the timing certainly seems…unlucky. But who knows, stranger things have happened.

Daniel Kaluuya in Jordan Peele’s hit film “Get Out”. (Photo: Universal Pictures)

Daniel Kaluuya

Daniel Kaluuya’s first big break, like several others on this list, came in the form of a role on Channel 4’s hit teen drama Skins. He played Posh Kenneth, a memorable but unfortunately very underdeveloped character in the series’ first generation. (Fun fact: One of the reasons Kaluuya appeared onscreen so infrequently is that he was also one of the series’ writers at the time.) Other appearances include significant roles in Psychoville, The Fades, Babylon and Black Mirror. But his biggest hit to date is his starring turn in Jordan Peele’s indie horror flick Get Out, which made buckets of money at the box office. And with his role in the upcoming Marvel superhero film Black Panther, was well as the new TV adaptation of Watership Down, Kaluuya would seem to have officially “arrived.”

As an actor, Kaluuya definitely deserves all this success. He’s extremely talented and, as you can see from his resume, capable of playing any kind of role from comedy to scifi to straight drama. He’s done a little bit of everything, and done it all well. It’s rare to find an actor that feels truly exciting to watch – but Kaluuya definitely does. His decisions, both in terms of roles and decisions while playing them, feel very unconventional, and that’s exciting to watch. What kind of Doctor would he be? It’s impossible to guess. But he’d definitely make the role his own. And he ticks all the necessary “casting” boxes – young, good-looking, up-and-coming star with a semi-recognizable name that’s still not too big that taking on the role of the Doctor wouldn’t feel like a step up.

Kaluuya has appeared on Doctor Who before, playing Barclay in the 2009 special episode “Planet of the Dead”. Which, as we all know, isn’t really a deal breaker when it comes to coming back. It worked out okay for Peter Capaldi and Karen Gillan after all. (And let’s be real: “Planet of the Dead” is kind of a terrible episode. Most of us probably blocked it from our memories already.)

HOLLYWOOD, CA – MARCH 2: Matthew Lewis at the premiere of Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” at the El Capitan Theatre on March 2, 2017 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Scott Kirkland/PictureGroup) *** Please Use Credit from Credit Field ***

Matthew Lewis

Casting Matthew Lewis as Thirteen would tick a lot of the producers’ most-wanted boxes when it comes to the next star of Doctor Who. He’s young, charming and (very, very) attractive. More so than ever now, thanks to a rather rigorous workout regiment from filming the drama Me Before You. There’s no way he’d fail to attract young female viewers or to move Who merchandise. Plus, he comes with a built-in fanbase of his own, courtesy of his involvement in another rather massive geek franchise.

Lewis is best known for playing Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter movies. (And let’s face it; literally everyone loves Neville, who is brave and selfless and true no matter the cost to himself.) He has several other major film roles under his belt too. Including, but not limited to the aforementioned tearjerker based on JoJo Moyes’ novel that somehow came with its own physical trainer attached. Lewis brings a certain endearing sweetness to all his roles and is just really relentlessly charming. Plus, he seems a natural fit for the side of the Doctor that still finds the wonder everywhere he goes and in everywhere he meets.

Plus, we already know that Lewis is something of a Whovian. He apparently watched the show back when Tennant was the Doctor. (Though he hasn’t seen it since.) And early last year, he told the Radio Times that he’d love to have a guest role of some type. Well, how about we do you one better than a guest role and go for the Doctor himself? It could work!

As Ann Hale in “Salem”, Tamzin Merchant played a character with a wide range. (Photo: WGN America)

Tamzin Merchant

Tamzin Merchant would tick several boxes in terms of Doctor Who casting. A charming young actress with tons of talent, Merchant is at the perfect spot in her career to land a big, starring vehicle like Doctor Who. Her first big role was as Catherine Howard, the ill-fated fifth wife of Henry VIII on Showtime’s The Tudors. Her performance was a perfect mixture of naiveté and selfishness, and a real bright spot in the series’ fourth season.

She most recently starred as Ann Hale on WGN America’s ridiculously over the top witch drama Salem. Her character went from a goody two-shoes alderman’s daughter to the queen of all evil, and Merchant revelled in every minute of it. Ann’s discovery of the magic within herself – as well as her deep dislike for the patriarchal rules governing her society – was must-see TV. Her character was by turns crazy, compelling and completely relatable. While it’s unlikely that Merchant would be called upon to play quite as dark a character in the Thirteenth Doctor, she would certainly give the character many and varied layers.

Fun fact: Merchant was also HBO’s original choice to play Daenerys Targaryen in Game of Thrones. She even filmed the original pilot for the series in 2009. But the cable network ultimately chose to go in a different direction. As a result, Emilia Clarke was cast, and the rest is history. But clearly someone thought Merchant was leading lady material.

Plus, the Doctor would not only be a woman – she’d also finally be a ginger!

Martin Freeman as John Watson in “Sherlock” Seaason 4. (Photo: Courtesy of Hartswood Films 2016 and MASTERPIECE)

Martin Freeman

File this casting suggestion under extreme wish fulfillment, as it’s probably worth noting that Martin Freeman would likely never take on the role of the Doctor. He starred in several major film franchises over the years, with a recent – and increasingly prominent – role in the Marvel movie universe. (You’ll next see him in Black Panther.) But Freeman would be so good at being Thirteen that it’s impossible to put together a list of this size and not mention him. These days, he’s probably best known as the stoic sidekick to Benedict Cumberbatch’s mercurial Holmes on Sherlock. And, of course, since that show’s also run by Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat, fans have been clamoring forever for the two shows to cross over in some way. Casting John Watson as the Doctor might be the closest we’d ever come to that moment. (And just think of the fanfic!)

Freeman’s actually had a ton of other great roles besides just John Watson. He played Bilbo Baggins in Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy. He also had leading roles in FX’s Fargo and the original British version of The Office. You might not know this if your only exposure to him as an actor is as the straight man to Cumberbatch’s dramatic…well, everything, but he’s quite funny, and great at humor. (Don’t believe it? Watch The Office.)

Plus, he’s ridiculously good at playing a regular, sort of “everyman” character type, so if your secret wish is to make the Doctor more human and less alien, he’d be a perfect fit. Perhaps that might make the character a bit more relatable for new audiences, which is something we all know the BBC is hoping to attract. And if there any Sherlock fans who somehow aren’t watching Doctor Who already? This would definitely get them to tune in.

Dev Patel at The 89th Annual Academy Awards Nominee Luncheon held at The Beverly Hilton on February 06, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California, United States (Photo by JC Olivera) *** Please Use Credit from Credit Field ***

Dev Patel

It’s basically impossible to watch Dev Patel in anything and not think he’s the most charming and likable person on the planet. An up and coming young talent, you can see immediately why he’d be a perfect pick to play Thirteen. (And why he sits at the top of many critics’ wishlists for the role.) He exudes a sort of dorky awkwardness that’s perfect for the Doctor. And he’s certainly good-looking enough to assuage all the corporate types looking for a younger, heartthrob type in the role.

Patel is another member of this list who got his start on teen drama Skins and has had the most notable career of any of its cast members to date. He played Anwar, a complicated teen who loved drugs, partying and sex, despite the fact that he was raised by very religious Muslim parents. After his time on Skins ended, Patel went on to star in several very high profile projects, most notably as the lead in the Oscar-winning film Slumdog Millionaire. Patel also appeared in both Best Exotic Marigold Hotel films, The Last Airbender and Chappie. And he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in 2017 for his role in the film Lion. In short: Patel is a serious talent. Doctor Who would be lucky to get an actor of his caliber into the TARDIS.

Which begs the question – with Patel’s film career going so well, would he even want to play Thirteen? It’s hard to say. The Doctor Who filming schedule is notoriously grueling, And it would make taking on additional film roles much more difficult. But “difficult” doesn’t necessarily mean impossible.

Aidan Gillen as the scheming Petyr Baelish on HBO’s hit series “Game of Thrones”. (Photo: HBO)

Aidan Gillen

Aidan Gillen may not be the sort of actor who qualifies as most people’s top pick for a role like the Doctor. And this is because a lot of people probably can’t stand him. Not for anything the actor’s done, certainly. (By all accounts, he seems rather charming and personable in real life.) It’s because he’s currently playing a character that very few people like, on a megahit HBO drama by the name of Game of Thrones. Gillen currently plays Petyr “Littlefinger” Baelish, a manipulative, scheming climber out to get as much power for himself as possible. That so many dislike him for this role is a testament to Gillen’s solid acting ability. It also kind of makes you wonder what a performer like this would do in a role like the Doctor.

As an actor, Gillen seems most comfortable in roles that come with a certain shade of grey to them. Littlefinger, definitely, but even his turn as ostensible good-guy mayor Tommy Carcetti in The Wire had some darkness to it. And as far as bad guys go – he’s portrayed everything from the nefarious head of government agency WCKD in the Maze Runner sequel The Scorch Trials to crime boss John Boy in the Irish drama Love/Hate. Would his Doctor be a more ruthless version of the character? Something of a schemer himself? It’s hard to say, but it certainly seems unlikely that his Thirteen would be anything close to traditional.

Of course, Gillen currently has a rather high profile job at the moment on Game of Thrones. And he’s just been cast in a role of some unknown size on BBC period drama Peaky Blinders. So he might not exactly have time to take on a role that’s the size and scope of something like the Doctor. But, a show like Game of Thrones doesn’t exactly come with job security either. Littlefinger may already be dead in the series’ upcoming seventh season, and Gillen could be free to take on any role he fancied.

Noma Dumezweni as Hermione Granger in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child”. (Photo: Palace Theater/Charlie Gray)

Noma Dumezweni

Noma Dumezweni is an Olivier Award-winning stage performer, appearing in many different productions. These include A Raisin in the Sun, Linda and multiple roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet and more. Most recently, she’s been starring in a role you’ve definitely of: Playing the adult version of Hermione Granger in the megahit West End play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. By all reports, her take on Hermione is a highlight of the production, smart, resourceful and brave by turns.

Outside of her many theater roles, Dumezweni has multiple film and TV credits to her name. These include Casualty, Capital, Frankie, Holby City, The Incident and Dirty Pretty Things. When she was cast as Hermione Granger, her public profile ballooned drastically. And, unfortunately, she received some rather horrific abuse from a small, vile corner of the internet that objected to the idea of a black Hermione Granger. It would be understandable if she’d rather avoid the inevitable fracas that will ensue whenever Doctor Who manages to cast a Doctor that isn’t white and male. But here’s hoping she’d be up for the challenge.

Interestingly enough, Dumezweni also has a built-in connection to the Who universe already. Dumezweni played UNIT’s Captain Erisa Magambo, who first appeared in Donna Noble’s parallel universe in the Season 4 episode “Turn Left”. She reappeared in the 2009 special “Planet of the Dead”. And since the show has already established that the Doctor can regenerate into a face he’s seen before, it wouldn’t even be that weird if the actress returned for a third time, but this time as the Time Lord himself. (Or herself, in this case.) After all, coming back to a different role worked out pretty great for Peter Capaldi.

John Noble as Walter Bishop on “Fringe”. (Photo: FOX)

John Noble

Yes, yes, let’s get it out of the way right off. John Noble is an Australian actor. So if he were to become the Doctor, the Doctor would also be Australian. Well, Doctor Who is a global brand, and Time Lords can adopt any accent they like. Why not go with an Australian, if they’re as amazing and talented as Noble is? Because make no mistake, he would be a heartrendingly good Thirteen.

Noble comes with a lengthy resume full of great performances. He starred in the popular sci-fi series Fringe for five years, playing not one, not two but three different versions of brilliant scientist Walter Bishop. And he broke everyone’s heart in about thirty-six different ways in the process. Noble also had major roles on shows like Sleepy Hollow and Elementary, all of which are extremely popular among the geek community. Oh and he also played the broken and rather villainous Denethor in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Noble can do anything. And he’s played everything – from hero to villain, from comedy to tragedy. (And sometimes all at once together, if his Fringe days are anything to go by.)

Of course, the idea of casting Noble as Thirteen runs into the same problem as several other names on this list. And that is age. Rumor has it that the folks behind the BBC already think Peter Capaldi is too old to play the Doctor. (Some rumors even imply that his age is seen as a reason the show’s been struggling, ratings-wise. Garbage, I say.) So how likely is it that the show might cast another older actor, no matter how amazing they are? Probably not much – even though Noble is incredibly amazing. But it’s nice to dream about what his Doctor might look like, and how emotionally devastating he’d probably turn out to be.

Lara Pulver as Irene Adler in “Sherlock”. (Photo: BBC)

Lara Pulver

Many fans would love to see a woman (finally) cast as the Doctor. And actress Lara Pulver feels like a pretty obvious possibility to help the show finally cross this gender barrier. Pulver is, of course, best known for her star-making turn as the infamous Irene Adler in BBC series Sherlock. While your mileage may vary when it comes to your thoughts on the episode “A Scandal in Belgravia”, Pulver’s performance as “The Woman” was almost universally lauded. And anyone who can hold their own opposite Benedict Cumberbatch deserves serious praise.

The actress is also a big BBC favorite ever since she scored that big breakthrough moment on Sherlock. She possesses a ton of range, having played major roles on True Blood, Da Vinci’s Demons and Robin Hood. And she recently won an Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in the West End revival of Gypsy. That she could play the role of the Doctor is not in question. Her ability to portray a deep-whip smart intelligence combined with her a sort of ageless quality seems perfect for a Time Lord. She’s already proven that she can take an iconic role and put her own stamp on the material.

On some level, though, the impending Who showrunner switch might make Pulver’s casting less likely. Not only did she have an existing working relationship with outgoing showrunner Steven Moffat, Pulver tends to embody the sort of actress you’d think Moffat would cast, if he’d ever picked a woman for to play the Doctor. Her Irene was basically a test run for what I’d see as Moffat’s vision for a female version of the character: Commanding, sly, flirtatious and without question the smartest person in the room. Pulver doesn’t have the same connection with incoming head Chris Chibnall, so it’s possible that her chance may have passed with the end of the Moffat era.

David Morrissey alongside David Tennant in Christmas special “The Next Doctor”. (Photo: BBC)

David Morrissey

David Morrissey has basically already been the Doctor once, so why not let him do it for real? Morrissey played Jackson Lake in 2008 Christmas episode “The Next Doctor”, a man convinced he was the Doctor thanks to an implanted memories and a heaping dose of personal tragedy. This episode aired during the four-special gap between Seasons 4 and 5, when we were all counting down to Tenth Doctor David Tennant’s regeneration. At the time many folks wondered if the episode title might mean Morrissey would be the next Doctor, but alas, it was not to be. Well, we could theoretically fix that now, right?

Morrissey’s Jackson was incredibly charming and likable, and interesting as a character in his own right. While it seems doubtful that we’d be able to turn that particular man into the Doctor, the character’s previous interactions with Ten seem more than enough reason for Thirteen to want to recreate his face. It’d be a neat trick, anyway. Besides the neat prior connection with Doctor Who, Morrissey’s actually a fantastic actor in his own right. He can play everything from pure evil to nice guy, and would make a fantastic Thirteen.

Best known these days for playing the villainous Governor on megahit zombie drama The Walking Dead, he’s had a wide variety of impressive roles, including The Missing, Blackpool, State of Play, Extant and The Driver. He may skew a bit on the older side – not really, obviously, but the BBC seems to think Peter Capaldi is old – if the corporation is looking for a teen dream, but his acting range would certainly give them a lot of options if they were looking to take the character in a new direction. His leading role in Sky’s upcoming early medieval drama Britannia might complicate his schedule a bit. But workarounds are always possible if everyone’s properly motivated.

It might be nice to see Jackson Lake get a TARDIS for real, after all.

Photo: Netflix/Mark Johnson

Michaela Coel

If you don’t recognize the name Michaela Coel, the best thing you can do for your life right now is to bookmark this list, fire up Netflix and take a few hours to watch the absolutely brilliant comedy Chewing Gum. Coel plays shop assistant Tracey Gordon, a rather sheltered twentysomething who wants to have sex and learn more about the world. It is hilarious, awkward, rude and often extremely uncomfortable to watch. And Coel’s fearless performance anchors the whole thing. So, to sum up: You should watch Chewing Gum immediately. And, two: The folks at the BBC could do a lot worse by casting Coel in Doctor Who.

Why? Because she’s already proven that she’s aces at playing a kind of lovable weirdo. And And isn’t that sort of the shortest, most succinct explanation of the Doctor, ever? Kind of. On some level, the character is meant to be an awkward outsider, no matter how many times he saves the human race. It’d be kind of nice to really reconnect with the more alien and strange facets of the Doctor’s personalit. And what kind of Doctor would an actress like Coel ultimately be? It’s hard to tell, and that’s really exciting.

As a young, up-and-coming performer, she’d immediately inject the show with a level of coolness it hasn’t had in a while. And when chasing new, younger viewers, you can’t go wrong with some built “hip” cred. More importantly, Coel is a brave, gutsy performer. She just oozes charisma. And she seems willing to do almost anything in a role. You get the sense that, were she to get the part, she could take the Doctor in pretty much any direction as a character. And after five years of Steven Moffat, that’s exactly what we all need right now.

As Mr. World in American Gods. Photo: Starz

Crispin Glover

Something we often forget – even sometimes as Doctor Who super fans – is that the Doctor is an alien. He’s supposed to be weird. Like, really weird. Uncomfortably so. And definitely not weird in a cute Hot Topic-esque way. He’s not supposed to be exactly relatable. And If you need a go-to person to play weird? Crispin Glover is kind of your guy. While he may have made his name playing Marty McFly’s dad in Back to the Future, his stock in trade is basically playing strange, complicated (sometimes downright creepy) characters.

He’s been in tons of projects, ranging from Alice in Wonderland to The Doors to Charlie’s Angels to Crime and Punishment to Beowulf. So he can obviously play a wide variety of roles. And his version of the Doctor would probably be an utterly bizarre one – in the best kind of way. (After all, George McFly IS kind of a lovable goof, for all that many of Glover’s other roles are varying degrees of disturbing.)

These days, Glover has a fairly significant role in the new Starz series American Gods. (He’s playing Mr. World, who is, unsurprisingly, kind of bizarre.) Given the nature of Glover’s role there, it’s possible he might not have time to take on a role as time intense as the Doctor. But it also sounds like his American Gods part is a bit flexible, so maybe? (It’s really hard to talk about that without spoiling things, so just trust me.) His Thirteen would certainly be something interesting to watch – and definitely never predictable.

Effy Stonem in “Skins” is probably Kaya Scodelario’s best known role (Photo: E4).

Kaya Scodelario

Kaya Scodelario is probably an unconventional pick to play the Doctor. She’s very young and still fairly unknown as an actress. But she’s extremely talented, very striking, and would make an extremely interesting casting choice. What if Doctor Who really did pick someone to who looks more a traditional companion casting to play Thirteen? How much would that shake up the show and its storytelling?

Today, Scodelario is probably still best known for her role as Effy Stonem on E4’s teen drama Skins. She was just 15 at the time (Skins was rather famous for using real teenagers as actors), but her performance is a tremendous one. Rebellious, outspoken, fragile and troubled, Effie was probably the standout character that came to represent Skins over the years. Scodelario’s performance is a big part of why. She’s exceptionally good at playing troubled strength, and possess a quiet ferocity that is extremely compelling to watch.

After her time on Skins concluded in 2010, Scodelario went on to star in a variety of other projects. Most notably, she played the older Cathy in an indie remake of Wuthering Heights and starred as the female lead in the Maze Runner movies, a dystopian saga of teens trapped in glade in the center of a labyrinthine maze. And she has another major part in the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean sequel Dead Men Tell No Tales.

Despite all of this, none of her other roles ever quite equaled the mainstream status of Effie. (Scodelario tells a story in interviews about running into girls dressed as her Skins character for Halloween.) Doctor Who would not only be a boost for her acting career in terms of status, but provide a boon to the series as well. Fans loved Effie, and would doubtless follow Scodelario’s career on to its next destination, even if that role was playing an alien with a time-traveling phone box.

Most recently, Natalia Tena played Wildling Osha on HBO’s “Game of Thrones”. (Photo: HBO)

Natalia Tena

Natalia Tena is best known for her role as the quirky, shape-shifting Nymphadora Tonks in the Harry Potter films. Her performance as the rebellious, edgy Auror was charming, and a good hint at what kind of Doctor she could be. Tena has a distinctive outsider vibe, which always helps when playing an alien. But more than that, she seems just a little bit weird. The sort of weird that really means interesting and original. Which is, let’s face it, perfect for the Doctor.

As an actress, Tena also comes with a lot of built-in street cred among the geek community. In addition to playing Tonks, she also had a fairly significant role on another series near and dear to nerds everywhere: Game of Thrones. She played Osha, a wilding woman who eventually became involved with the Stark family. Now that her time in Westeros is over, what better next move for her than to jump right into another iconic franchise?

Though she’s been performing for over a decade, Tena has never really gotten a true starring role in her own right. Her resume is quite extensive, with roles in all sorts of TV series, shorts and films. But nothing truly groundbreaking, career-wise. (Though let’s be fair, she does show up in a pretty great episode of Black Mirror.) She not only has a fierce presence, but a strong grasp of comedy and an extremely expressive face. This means Tena could easily cover the two poles of playing a Time Lord – the angry ranting and the silly comedy. The person chosen to play Thirteen will need to pull off both a believable argument with an alien enemy and embrace the goofier episodes too. And Tena seems pretty perfect for that.

Actor Sean Pertwee attends the 2nd Annual Paleyfest presents “Gotham” at the Paley Center for Media in New York, NY, October 18, 2014. (Photo by Anthony Behar/Sipa USA)

Sean Pertwee

Doctor Who isn’t exactly a legacy job. But it’s one of those shows where people whose lives it has touched seem to keep coming back. After all, the real-life daughter of the Fifth Doctor played Jenny, the Doctor’s Daughter on the show. And then she ended up marrying the Tenth Doctor. If anything, one of David Tennant’s kids will end up on a list like this to play the Twenty-Second Doctor some day.

Looking at it this way, Sean Pertwee is a natural choice to play Thirteen. He is the son of Jon Pertwee, who portrayed the Third Doctor in the 1970s. And since Sean decided to follow his father into the family business, it’s only natural that a lot of fans think he could follow his dad right into the TARDIS itself. Pertwee the younger is an accomplished actor in his own right, with a resume that dates back to the 1980s. He’s done everything from period dramas to mystery series to. Currently, Pertwee portrays Alfred Pennyworth on FOX’s Gotham, and plays a much tougher, more action-oriented version of the character. Gotham has been renewed for another season, so the biggest obstacle to Pertwee’s involvement may not be his feelings about whether or not to do Doctor Who, but just if he’d have time for it.

Pertwee certainly appears open to appearing on the show in some capacity. Apparently the Doctor Who folks asked him to appear in Season 9, but the timing didn’t work out. He even dressed up as the Third Doctor for Halloween one year, and posted this on Instagram, which features his father’s iconic Doctor Who hair photoshopped onto his own face:

He not only looks just like his father, he looks like someone who could be a future Time Lord someday.

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.