Michelle Gomez says Missy could return to Doctor Who
By Lacy Baugher
Even though Doctor Who star Michelle Gomez says her time with the show is up, it turns out that might not entirely be true.
Big changes are coming to Doctor Who this year. Yes, the show has cast its first female Doctor, slated to debut this Christmas. But before we can properly start the Jodie Whittaker era, we have to say goodbye to several important folks. Obviously, Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi will depart the series following his character’s regeneration. But he’s not the only person heading out the door. Showrunner Steven Moffat will leave alongside Capaldi, as will Pearl Mackie and Michelle Gomez, who play the Twelfth Doctor’s companion and his longtime frenemy, respectively.
However, at least one of those departures might not be forever. Maybe. If we’re lucky.
Gomez, who plays a female incarnation of the Master known as Missy, announced back in May that her run on the show would end alongside Capaldi’s. But that may no longer be the case for good. The actress was asked about the future of her role on the iconic sci-fi series at San Diego Comic Con over the weekend. And her answer has changed just a little bit.
Speaking to TVLine, Gomez still seemed pretty confident in her decision to leave.
"“[I’m] probably not [coming back]. I think that’s enough of Missy now. … It’s good to know when to leave the party. It was a jolly good party, but time to leave — and then maybe come back, but time to leave for now.”"
However, it now sounds like a return at some point in the future isn’t completely off the table.
"“It feels like this was a chapter — a perfect chapter, actually — with Steven and Peter. I don’t know about being a Master to another Doctor. I feel very loyal to Peter and I don’t know how that would work, but I am willing to find out at a later date.”"
Ostensibly, Missy died at the end of season 10 finale, “The Doctor Falls.” But we all know that death is generally never permanent for Time Lords. This is particularly true for any incarnation of The Master, who has cheated it several times. And if we’re honest, the show never really explained how John Simm’s Master survived several of his scrapes anyway. He just showed up again after seven years. We just all went with it. Missy suddenly turning up alive again wouldn’t even be that weird.
And even if the powers that be decided—for some insane reason—that Missy’s ending is a final one for the character? That still doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the last time we’ll see Gomez in the role onscreen. There’s a rather substantial gap between Missy’s appearances in seasons 9 and 10, and “timey wimey” is an acceptable excuse for almost anything on this show.
In short: If they can figure out a way to handwave Simm’s Master back? We can certainly run into Missy again somewhere down the line. And now that the show’s cast Whittaker as Thirteen? The prospect of a female Doctor and a female Master facing off has got to be too tantalizing to resist, right? Here’s hoping.
Next: Official Doctor Who books will also star Jodie Whittaker
Doctor Who returns this December with Christmas special “Twice Upon a Time.”