Doctor Who: 10 Actresses Who Could Replace Jenna Coleman
6. Summer Glau
Why she should be next: Since Steven Moffat took over, the show has been gaining more and more of an American fanbase. Casting an American as the next companion (rather than someone with a dodgy American accent, naming no names *coughs* Peri *coughs*) would do a lot to thank them for their support, and who better than cult queen Summer Glau? Ignoring the fact that she would appeal to an American audience, as that in itself isnt the best argument for casting someone, she is an absolutely phenomenal performer. Anyone who has seen her in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles as the series main Terminator, or as the iconic River Tam in Joss Whedons Firefly, has to admit that she has bags of talent and a great range. This would allow the writers the creative freedom to pick an interesting dynamic with Capaldi and know that theyd have a memorable character at the end of it. She can play anything from a strangely sympathetic robot to an everyday human whisked away from Earth by the Doctor, so theres an awful lot of potential there. Shes got experience with the whiplash dialogue Moffat writes, having experienced a similar thing working with Whedons scripts, so shell be great at making that side of it seem believable. Shes also got a lot of experience of interacting with enthusiastic fandoms, so shell be a hit at the many conventions the Doctor Who cast are required to attend. Why she shouldnt be: As said before, casting Glau to appeal to Americans wasnt the best argument. Well, if the furore over the an American convention getting the first trailer for the 50th anniversary is anything to go by, a lot of British fans arent hugely happy with the increased focus on those over the pond. And its the Brits that pay the license fee to fund the show, after all. Still, that shouldnt stand in her way. Itd be a bit worrying if the only thing the showrunners looked at when casting was someones nationality. Glau is a good enough performer. So good, in fact, that she already has a number of iconic roles to her name which has made her something of a cult hero. This could mean that any role she plays on Doctor Who has the potential to pale in comparison with what shes already done. As great a character as River Tam is, the Doctor Who fandom and the people who put the show together probably dont want to risk her overshadowing the new character theyre trying to put on the screen. Another problem with casting Glau is that shes got a bit of a reputation as a show-killer. While this is quite unfair, as its rarely, if ever, her performances that are bringing a show down, its there nonetheless. There were numerous jokes about Arrow only lasting two seasons when she was cast in that, and similar jokes would potentially have the power to undermine her being cast in Doctor Who. Even though she insists shes not a show-killer, anyone around during the wilderness years would be looking over their shoulder if she was cast, especially given the BBCs current push towards cutting things for bigger budgets.
