Doctor Who Fans Think They’ve Identified Neil Patrick Harris’ Mystery Villain

Neil Patrick Harris is playing an as-yet-unannounced villain in the upcoming Doctor Who 60th anniversary special, and a number of fans on social media are convinced he will be reprising an existing Who villain — one that hasn’t been on TV in over 50 years. A promotional photo of Harris released to announce his casting — seen below — has led a number of fans to believe that he will play the role of the Celestial Toymaker, a character who originated in 1966, and was played by Michael Gough, the celebrated English actor who would go on to appear in a number of Tim Burton projects, including playing Alfred Pennyworth in Batman.

The Toymaker was the central antagonist in “The Celestial Toymaker,” a serial from the third season of Doctor Who. Only one part of the serial is available to watch now, although the story has since been novelized, and the character of the Toymaker has appeared in two other novels and a number of audio productions.

The Celestial Toymaker is an ancient and powerful being, who found his way to our universe after being expelled from another. He exists by a different set of scientific rules, giving the impression that he can bend the rules of reality itself. He also has the ability to control people, turning them into his “playthings.” Bored by his immortality, he engages foes in contests, where they will either die or be trapped by his side forever.

Digital Spy did a pretty solid roundup of some of the responses that nailed down the Toymaker as the most likely villain of the anniversary special, which will feature at least two iterations of The Doctor and past companions.

“I am convinced it is The Toymaker.He even had prior history with the Doctor before they even met in the original 1960s serial, not to mention his reality warping powers to throw trials and games feels suitably ‘special,’” fan James Johnson tweeted, and then added set photos featuring a toy store set, and a decoration featuring the caption “Toy Maker of the Year.”

The story in which the Toymaker appeared is mostly classified as lost media, with only the fourth part of the four-part serial known to be preserved in the BBC archives. Significant chunks of early Doctor Who have been lost, as the BBC used to routinely get rid of masters, not realizing that there would be an audience for them in the future. As a result, film was destroyed or given away, and magnetic tapes were recorded over. Doctor Who stands out among other BBC series, as fans recorded audio from the episodes, so virtually all of the missing content exists as an episode soundtrack (although some, including “The Celestial Toymaker,” have damaged audio).