When "Doctor Who" producers revealed Jodie Whittaker to be the 13th incarnation of The Doctor in 2017, there was much rejoicing, although some of the show's fandom wasn't so pleased. Whittaker succeeded Peter Capaldi, and joined the franchise along with Chris Chibnall, who worked with her on "Broadchurch" and took the showrunning reins from Steven Moffat. Neither Whittaker nor Chibnall had much of an association with the wider Whovian universe, but that mattered less than the fact that Whittaker, a woman, was stepping into a role previously played by 12 white men.
Anyone who remembers that sexist hullaboo must have felt some relief at the broader elation that greeted the announcement of Whittaker's successor Ncuti Gatwa, whose history-making ascension to this legacy role begins in November 2023. This isn't to imply that racists and homophobes didn't come out of the woodwork to fuss at the news; trolling is as sure as death and taxes, but it's easier to ignore in cases like this because sensible people agree that such bigotry is dumb and done.
