Tennant, O’Connor, or someone else? The Next Doctor Who Odds

The New is Well-Forgotten Old.

In April 2025, Doctor Who will launch its 15th season—or the second one, if you count from the latest reboot. Once again, Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa takes the lead role. However, the show's ratings are declining, and the actor himself is considering leaving the project.

Bookmakers have already released odds on both the show’s potential cancellation and on who might become the next Doctor. We’ll break it all down and offer the most intriguing picks.

Doctor Who to be Axed before January 1st 2026 - Yes

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10/1

Who Will Be the New Doctor Who?

Ncuti Gatwa may soon leave the series due to the lukewarm reception of the latest season—at least, according to sources from The Sun.

Among the top contenders for his successor are the star of Challengers and several former Doctors. On average, an actor spends about three seasons in the role of the Doctor. The longest run belongs to the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, who stayed for seven seasons. However, he isn’t the public’s ultimate favorite.

Top Contenders to replace Gatwa

Josh O'Connor

Josh O’Connor, widely recognized for his performances in Challengers, The Crown, and God’s Own Country, has long been rumored as a potential successor to James Bond. Now, however, bookmakers suggest he might also be in line to become the 16th Doctor, adding another high-profile role to his impressive career.

Josh has definitely ended up at the top of the list because, right now, he’s Britain’s biggest rising star. But is he really the right fit for the role of the Time Lord?

David Tennant

Nevertheless, our favorite is David Tennant. He’s one of the few actors who has triumphantly returned to the role of the Time Lord. If the show hits a dead end, bringing back the tried-and-true, fan-favorite Tennant would be a great way to either reboot or at least extend the series.

Top 3 Most Beloved Doctors by the Audience

His reappearance in the role in the 2023 specials fairly set the nation alike and garnered Doctor Who some of its best ratings in years

Jodie Whittaker

Whittaker is the first woman to play the role of the Doctor. Although fans had almost no complaints about her personally, the seasons featuring her received a lukewarm reaction from viewers. It’s unlikely that the producers are willing to take such a risk again.

Jo Martin

Jo last appeared on the sci-fi show in 2022, portraying an incarnation of the Doctor that existed before the First Doctor (William Hartnell), who crossed paths with Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor. She has hinted that she wouldn’t mind taking on the lead role, as she mentioned in an interview with The Mirror.

However, as we’ve mentioned before, it’s likely more beneficial for the producers to opt for a more conservative choice.

Jack Lowden

The highly versatile Jack Lowden certainly has the acting skills to take on the role. At 34, he would be one of the younger actors to portray the Doctor—but then again, Matt Smith was only 26, and he became a fan favorite.

By the way, speaking of Smith, his fans would love to see him back as the Doctor almost as much as they do Tennant. But combining that with House of the Dragon seems unlikely.

Matt Smith to replace Gatwa

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8/1

Show Prospects

It’s possible that the series could be canceled altogether. The ratings for the previous season on IMDb range from 5.2 to 8.2, with only two episodes scoring above 8. Last year, Doctor Who ranked seventh in the list of most popular TV shows in the U.S., which, according to insiders from Deadline, doesn't meet Disney's expectations.

Currently, the American giant, along with the BBC, is involved in creating and promoting Doctor Who, but they plan to pull out if the current season doesn't drastically change the trend.

Doctor Who to be Axed before January 1st, 2026 - Yes

Bonus £50

Bet

10/1

The series is no stranger to this. In 1989, it was essentially canceled, only to be rebooted in 2005. Another formal reboot took place a few years ago. Additionally, former showrunner Chris Chibnall admitted that the BBC nearly shut down the series during the coronavirus pandemic.

Doctor Who is already the longest-running sci-fi series in history, with its first episode airing in 1963. Of the currently running sci-fi shows, only Red Dwarf is somewhat comparable, with 12 seasons. Doctor Who has 40. For comparison, the average length of major British sci-fi series is just over 5 seasons.

• The Avengers / The New Avengers (1961–1969, 1976–1977)
   Seasons: 7 (The Avengers) + 2 (The New Avengers)
   Episodes: 161

• Blake's 7 (1978–1981)
   Seasons: 4
   Episodes: 52

• Primeval (2007–2011) 
  Seasons: 5 
  Episodes: 36