10 Lies About Doctor Who You Probably Believe
8. Kris Marshall Was Considered For The Doctor
It’s January 2017, and Peter Capaldi has just revealed that Series 10 of Doctor Who will be his last. Around the same time, it's confirmed that Kris Marshall will be stepping down from his lead role in Death in Paradise.
Coincidence? Doctor Who fans thought not.
Of course, it was Jodie Whittaker, not Marshall, who ultimately became the Thirteenth Doctor. But was his name ever on the cards?
At the time, many believed so. The Mirror even ran a story claiming that Marshall had “already joined the cast”, and would be making his debut during Series 10 itself. Even prior to this, Marshall's name was consistently brought up whenever a regeneration was imminent.
In hindsight, it’s pretty clear that this was a load of rubbish – not least because Chris Chibnall has revealed that, although Whittaker wasn’t the only actor auditioned for the part, the Thirteenth Doctor was always going to be female.
But for the avoidance of any doubt, Marshall recently broke his silence, insisting that he’s “never been approached” for Doctor Who, and that this long-standing rumour was simply a product of tabloid speculation. He even went as far to admit that he’s never actually watched an episode!
Too far Kris. Too far.
If one thing’s for sure, then, it’s that Marshall will probably never actually play the Doctor – despite some fans’ insistence that he’d be a pretty good fit for the role.