Doctor Who Showrunner Confirms Fake Shot in Trailer to Hide Spoilers

Doctor Who fans got their first real look at Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor in a teaser for the beloved series, but it turns out that the scene of Gatwa against cloudy, stormy skies isn't something fans will actually see when new episodes arrive. Showrunner Russell T. Davies recently revealed to Doctor Who Magazine (via Screen Rant) that the scene is actually a fake shot, one created to prevent revealing major spoilers about the true location to fans.

"You'll never see that again," Davies said. "Because the actual location would give away too much!"

Back in May, it was announced that Gatwa had been cast as the Doctor, though his actual arrival has yet to materialize. The recent Doctor Who Centenary Special, "The Power of the Doctor" saw Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor regenerate into David Tennant's now-Fourteenth Doctor. Tennant previously played the character's Tenth iteration. It was confirmed soon after that Gatwa will take over as the Fifteenth Doctor in the upcoming season.

"If you thought the appearance of David Tennant was a shock, we've got plenty more surprises on the way," Davies said. "The path to Ncuti's 15th Doctor is laden with mystery, horror, robots, puppets, danger and fun. And how is it connected to the return of the wonderful Donna Noble? How, what, why? We're giving you a year to speculate, and then all hell lets loose."

What do we know about Doctor Who Season 14?

Doctor Who Season 14 will be the first new season of Doctor Who, following the anniversary specials, to stream globally on Disney+ as part of a new deal between Disney Branded Television and the BBC. Just days after Whittaker's farewell episode, the BBC and Disney announced a plan to "transform Doctor Who into a global franchise for UK audiences and the rest of the world." Rumor has it that Disney has some creative control over the franchise and wants to give Doctor Who a "Hollywood makeover."

"I love this show, and this is the best of both worlds – with the vision and joy of the BBC and Disney+ together we can launch the TARDIS all around the planet, reaching a new generation of fans while keeping our traditional home firmly on the BBC in the UK," returning showrunner Russell T. Davies said in a press release. Davies previously expressed his belief that Doctor Who should be a franchise with multiple shows similar to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He achieved a measure of this during his original run as Doctor Who showrunner, reviving the core Doctor Who series and launching spinoffs Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures.

In November of 2023 there will be a series of Doctor Who specials that will pay tribute to the 60th anniversary of the iconic character. David Tennant's Fourteenth Doctor will seemingly be an anchor for those episodes, with Ncuti Gatwa set to take over as the Fifteenth Doctor when those wrap up. 

Doctor Who will return with a new season in 2024 and when it does it will have a new streaming partner in every part of the world beyond the UK and Ireland. Disney+ will be the home for new seasons of Doctor Who in most of the world, though the series will still be produced in Wales by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios Production.