When you play the Doctor, it’s always a matter of time. And for Jodie Whittaker, her TARDIS tenure is about to come to a close. After leading Doctor Who for three full series and the usual smattering of specials, the first female incarnation of the Time Lord will be bowing out in upcoming instalment ‘The Power Of The Doctor’ – a 90-minute farewell, also marking the end of showrunner Chris Chibnall’s reign. The final adventure for any Doctor is always an event – but this one looks to be particularly huge, not only waving goodbye to Whittaker, but bringing back Janet Fielding and Sophie Aldred as legendary former companions Tegan and Ace, and corralling a cavalcade of Who villains: Sacha Dhawan’s The Master, the Daleks, and the Cybermen among them.
“It’s one for the Whovians,” Whittaker tells Empire in the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever issue. “It’s a huge treat if you’re a proper fan. It’s got all the iconic things that you associate with Doctor Who. It’s massive.” And it sounds like this Doctor’s final scene will be as emotional as ever. “I love the dialogue Chris wrote for my regeneration,” she says. “It captures my Doctor beautifully. It’s simple, epic and beautiful.” It’s a sequence Whittaker says is all delivered in one long take. “When I could see the crew was happy with that last shot, that’s when my bottom lip started going,” she recalls. “I was like, ‘Well, they can’t say they need another take now because I’ve fucking lost it!’”
As always, the end of an era of Doctor Who always hands over to the start of the next one – with Russell T. Davies, who restarted the show in 2005, coming back as showrunner for the 60th anniversary specials, before kicking off a whole new run of the show with a fresh Doctor in Sex Education’s Ncuti Gatwa. “It’s inspired casting,” says Whittaker of the incoming Time Lord. “He’s gonna smash it.” But for now, this is still Whittaker’s world – get ready to see how powerful her Doctor really is.
Read Empire’s full story on Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor Who finale in the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever issue – on sale Thursday 29 September, and available to pre-order online here. ‘The Power Of The Doctor’ will air on BBC One in October.