Doctor Who: 10 Huge Questions After The Power Of The Doctor
3. Why Did The Doctor's Clothes Regenerate?
Before its broadcast, fans had speculated whether or not David Tennant or Ncuti Gatwa would fit into the Thirteenth Doctor’s outfit, without ruining the moment by looking silly. As it happens, it could have worked. Sacha Dhawan managed to pull it off just fine. The clothes didn’t have to be changed in the process.
The Doctor regenerating into a previous body and personality is unprecedented, but this isn’t the first time the Doctor’s attire has regenerated with them. For that, we must go back to the very first transformation from Hartnell to Troughton. Could this just be a nod to that, one of the many easter eggs in the special?
The direction of the scene makes it clear there is more going on here. Take a closer look at Tennant’s expressions. Not only is the Doctor shocked by his appearance, he also looks puzzled about the outfit. It’s an early sign that even if he could reuse a previous body (see the Curator’s suggestion to the Eleventh Doctor in The Day of the Doctor), something is not right about this regeneration.
The trailer for the 60th anniversary starts with the Doctor saying he doesn’t know who he is anymore. That’s usual for some post-regeneration confusion, but to use that line so prominently in a short teaser is telling.
It also ends with the previously-announced Gatwa Doctor asking what the hell is going on. Why the Fourteenth Doctor is another version of his Tenth incarnation is clearly going to be a key plot point in the 2023 specials.