11 Doctor Who Rumours That Turned Out To Be Complete Twaddle

3. Cumberbatch Master

Here's one for all the Cumberbitches out there. Matt Smith and Benedict Cumberbatch look like they're pretty pally in the picture above but things could have been very, very different. The Sherlock Star - who is currently in line to recieve his first Oscar nomination for his portrayal of pioneering computer scientist Alan Turing in The Imitation Game - found himself in the running to take on the role of the Doctor's arch nemesis (or one of them), the Master, back in 2012. Bear in mind that there was only a grand total of six Doctor Who episodes aired this year so there really wasn't all that much else to talk about. Once again it was the Express that came forth with this Earth-shattering exclusive as they claimed that Benedict's reveal as the renegade Time Lord (seriously, are there even any good ones anymore!?) would coincide with the show's 50th anniversary celebrations. Needless to say, it never happened. Call us cynical, and this isn't to question Benedict's versatility as an actor, but the latest incarnation of the Master, as revealed during the Series 8 finale, definitely was not him. He's the wrong gender, for starters.