Part of what has made Doctor Who such an accessible and beloved show with the kind of longevity other television can only dream of is the concept of regeneration – it’s much easier to endlessly reinvent yourself and pick up new fans if your lead character can become anyone every few years. There’s a pantheon of prestige actors who have embodied the role as well, especially post-revival: Christopher Eccleston, Matt Smith, Jodie Whittaker, all major stars in their own right who brought their own idiosyncrasies and eccentricities to the character.
However, out of all of the performers who have played the Doctor since the 2005 revival, it’s pretty clear that the standout fan-favorite is David Tennant, who brought a nervy and electrifying energy to the character as the Tenth Doctor and the Fourteenth Doctor, respectively. While most actors don’t get the chance to return to the role on-screen, Tennant has done so twice – in 2013’s The Day of the Doctor and in a series of 60th anniversary special episodes, starting with 2023’s The Star Beast – and now, shockingly, he’s set to step back into the TARDIS again.
