Doctor Who may not only be losing Ncuti Gatwa, but according to new rumors from the UK, Disney is demanding the removal of showrunner Russell T Davies amid the poor performance of Season 1 on Disney+.
It’s said that Davies’ exit depends on Season 3 moving forward on Disney+ and Disney continuing to fund the show—which reportedly cost upwards of $100 million for the first two seasons.
That’s not all: it’s also claimed that Disney’s demands include the right to approve the new showrunner, and that Disney now wants the entire Doctor Who library for Disney+.
Ncuti Gatwa’s Exit Tied to Russell T Davies’ Departure
Rumors have claimed that Ncuti Gatwa has already left the series and that the regeneration scene has already been filmed. While it’s been reported that Gatwa’s departure is due to plans to continue his acting career in Los Angeles, it’s said the real reason is that Gatwa knows Russell T Davies is leaving the show.
Russell T Davies Working on Other Projects
Worth mentioning is a recent report that Russell T Davies is working on a new LGBTQ+ drama titled Tip Toe for the UK’s Channel 4. The UK’s Radio Times also reported on Davies appearing on David Tennant’s podcast, where he confirmed there are “conversations” about the next Doctor Who showrunner.
According to the latest rumors, none of it is a coincidence.
What do the rumors say?
We’re hearing word about Russell T Davies leaving Doctor Who via the Tachyon Pulse Podcast on YouTube, which is also behind the SciTrek channel that previously reported months ago that Davies is exiting the series.
Disney Blames Davies for Poor Performance
According to the YouTuber, Russell T Davies is being pushed out by Disney because “they were not happy about the way Doctor Who had gone, and at the end of the day, they were blaming Russell T Davies for it.” Under Davies, it’s known that the first season of Doctor Who had the lowest viewership in the show’s 60-year history.
Marvel, Star Wars — now Doctor Who
While the YouTuber didn’t go into it, Doctor Who appears to be in a similar situation on Disney+ as Marvel and Star Wars. Disney spent billions on those franchises, but fans rejected much of the content, which often pushed a woke agenda—and they tuned out. Disney CEO Bob Iger has since confirmed they’re scaling back on both Marvel and Star Wars, including slashing budgets. It’s safe to say the same is happening with Doctor Who. Disney isn’t going to drop another $100 million on Season 3 if nobody’s watching.
According to the YouTuber, Disney is blaming Russell T Davies:
“Disney apparently have doubled down in the last couple of months and have actually said, ‘No, you will get a new showrunner—and actually, you won’t just get any showrunner, you’ll get somebody we agree with—or we will not be renewing the contract.’”
BBC May Shelve Doctor Who for Years
Rumors also suggest that the BBC is considering putting Doctor Who on the back burner for five, possibly even ten years. The YouTuber explains that the BBC has no plans to fund Doctor Who on its own:
“If Disney pulls out they will not be moving forward on their own.”
Sony, Amazon May Step In if Disney Pulls Out
The YouTuber adds that Bad Wolf—Davies’ production company behind Doctor Who—has already held talks with other companies about funding the series. It’s noted that Bad Wolf is owned by Sony, which has a close relationship with Amazon. So if the Disney deal falls through, Doctor Who could end up elsewhere (or, once again, be shelved for up to a decade).
Disney Wants the Full Doctor Who Library
The YouTuber also says that, in addition to wanting Russell T Davies out and a new showrunner brought in, Disney wants access to the entire Doctor Who catalog:
“Disney are pushing for a new showrunner. In fact, it’s got to the point where they’re now demanding it. And they actually are pushing as well to get the full back catalog of Doctor Who onto Disney. They don’t just want the stuff they’ve produced—they want all of it.”
Gatwa Reportedly Left Because of Davies
Regarding what was said about Ncuti Gatwa, the YouTuber claims that Gatwa jumped ship along with Davies:
“A lot of people are reporting that it’s actually because of Disney—that Disney wants a different Doctor. That’s not exactly what I’ve heard. I’ve heard that it’s actually Russell T Davies that Disney are targeting. They think he’s the main problem. He has written the Doctor Who episodes, and he’s chosen the direction the show has taken, so they feel that the first step is to get rid of the person in charge.”
The YouTuber added:
“Ncuti Gatwa only really agreed to do Doctor Who because of Russell T Davies, and I’m being told Ncuti Gatwa has jumped ship from Doctor Who because he’s aware Russell T Davies is going to be moving on.”
Who Might Replace Davies as Showrunner?
The Youtuber says Michael Sheen is “very high up on the list for Disney,” but doesn’t know if Disney actually has talked to Sheen as of yet. It’s further said Sheen would take on the gig as it would enable Sheen to stay in Wales.
