Doctor Who: 8 News Stories That Never Die
7. Hot Property Actor Mooted For Next Doctor
Another name being thrown around at the time of Capaldi's departure was Phoebe Waller-Bridge, fresh off the gargantuan success of Fleabag. Some rumours even suggested that she'd been offered the part prior to Whittaker, and turned it down. Since then, she's gone on to star in the Han Solo movie, do script polishes on the last James Bond film and returned to the West End for a sell-out revival of the stage show version of Fleabag.
Waller-Bridge is a great example of the inherent ridiculousness in suggesting that the latest hot property will be offered the part of Doctor Who. Micaela Coel and Olly Alexander are Waller-Bridge's successors in this regard. At a time where the actor/creator is an increasingly attractive prospect for commissioners, why would they tie themselves down to one role that would take up most of their waking hours?
Doctor Who has generally been a star-making performance, like it was for David Tennant and Matt Smith, or the fulfilment of a childhood dream like it was for both Tennant and Peter Capaldi. But never let logic get in the way of a good Doctor Who news story. By this stage, any actor who grabs the attention of the public can guarantee that they'll be linked to the role of the Doctor in no time, it's practically an initiation rite.