2. The Young Doctor
As said previously, Smith debuted as the youngest incarnation of the Doctor yet, at 26. He continued a trend, with Tennant before him 34, and Eccleston 41. With Doctor Who increasingly appealing to a younger audience, the Doctor could be set to be even younger once again. If the producers were to go even younger in their casting, expect many of the same fears that greeted the unveiling of Smith as the Doctor. However, as he proved, age is no barrier to producing an outstanding portrayal of the Doctor. So which youngsters could step into the limelight and take on the role of the Time Lord? In my opinion one outstanding option would be the Irish actor Robert Sheehan, 25. He won many fans for his breakout role as Nathan in the early series of Misfits, and he remains to this day the funniest thing to come out of the show. However he also showed in two episodes of Jimmy McGovern's Accussed that he has the depth and emotion in his acting ability to continue where Smith left off with the Doctor. His natural charm and wild curly locks seem just too perfect for the Doctor. If not Sheehan, then another relative youngster who would be a perfect fit for the role is Nicholas Hoult, 23. His starring role as Tony in Skins showed his comedic edge, while his move into the X-Men franchise as a young Beast showed that he is more than comfortable in the sci-fi world. His role alongside Colin Firth in A Single Man should leave no doubt as to his ability to cope with the demands of playing the Doctor.