Doctor Who: 10 (More) Actors Who Could Replace Jenna Coleman
10. Colin Morgan
Why he should be: After Merlin, Colin Morgan seemed to be destined for huge things but apart from becoming a regular in BBCs The Fall, he seems to have fallen off the radar a bit. This is a huge disappointment give how talented he is as a performer, and becoming the new companion would bring Morgan back into the spotlight and give him a window to show just what he can do. He can manage the dynamic as well - if any of the dangerous nature of the Doctor/Companion relationship that Moffat has planned has anything to do with secrets, we know that Morgan can pull off a sense of that. He played a character keeping a secret that would cost him his life from his nearest and dearest for five years in Merlin, so creating a sense of tense secrecy would be a walk in the park for him. Hes also extremely likeable and has bags upon bags of charm which means hed be able to get the fans onside even if he is exploring a darker, morally-ambiguous character. In addition, this likeable charm would be a good contrast with Capaldis more abrasive Doctor, creating an interesting dynamic and keeping anyone put off by that less cuddly side to Twelve watching. Morgan was also in Midnight in Series 4, in one of his earliest acting roles, so hed be following Freema Agyeman, Catherine Tate, Karen Gillan and Jenna Coleman in the streak of actors whove become good companions after appearing in the show before. Why he shouldnt be: Despite not having done much since, Morgan is still well-known for being Merlin and this role could overshadow his being a companion, potentially more than any other performer on either list. It would be very difficult not to see this casting as The Doctor and Merlin, especially as that would be how a lot of papers and media outlets would report it. This would be an unnecessary distraction from a role that needs to hit the ground running. Also, due to the hinting in the Seventh Doctors era that the Doctor himself became Merlin in the Who Universe, thered be a lot of terrible jokes made around that as well. While that last part is a more superficial reason than is perhaps fair, theres also the worry that Morgan has been mostly used in light-hearted material with a touch of darkness, such as Merlin. This may mean hed be a good fit for Doctor Who, which functions similarly tonally (unsurprising since Merlin was made to fill Whos slot when it wasnt on), but it also might mean he doesnt quite have the chops to do something new and refreshing with it. He might well fall back on what hes already done and stick with that, rather than show us something new. Theres also the chance that he wouldnt want to work in a Saturday evening Sci-fi/Fantasy show having starred in Merlin for so long. Which would rather scupper the chances of him being a companion.
