Previous reports have suggested that Peter Capaldi will depart "Doctor Who" after the BBC show's upcoming tenth season. A recent interview with showrunner Steven Moffat, however, revealed that the current Time Lord will continue piloting the TARDIS beyond Season 10.
Showrunners and actors playing as The Doctor exiting the sci-fi series at the same time isn't entirely a new phenomenon. That move also happened in 2010 when Moffat's predecessor, Russell T. Davies, left "Doctor Who" along with David Tennant (Tenth Doctor).
Davies' and Tennant's departure was considered as a big creative overhaul of "Doctor Who," but the same thing cannot be said for the show's current roster. Moffat, who will leave his post as head writer and executive producer of the series after Season 10, said his final episode won't signal Capaldi's exit.
Moffat said in the July 28 issue of Doctor Who Magazine that he has "no reason to suppose" that he's "writing out a Doctor," Entertainment Weekly reported. Chris Chibnall of "Broadchurch" will fill Moffat's duties on "Doctor Who" Season 11 in 2018.
Moffat said that Capaldi is "loving" his role as The Doctor, and "long may he do so." The showrunner added that he intends his final season in the series to "feel like a brand new show."
Moffat continued, "I want it to feel like episode 1 of a new series. I want to leave like it's all just beginning." Capaldi, meanwhile, told the Radio Times in May that BBC asked him to stay on "Doctor Who" beyond Season 10. Back then, the Scottish actor revealed that he hasn't decided whether he would stay on because it's such "a long time" before he has to make up his mind.
However, both Capaldi and Moffat think that saying goodbye to "Doctor Who" is hard. Regardless, Capaldi only has praises for the long-running series' current and future showrunners, calling Moffat as "absolutely wonderful" and Chibnall as "fantastic," EW further reported.
Matt Smith (Eleventh Doctor) was previously rumored to return to "Doctor Who." But the actor said in Web chat with The Guardian that the rumors aren't true and he's just watching the show as a fan now.
Season 10 will feature a new companion, Bill (Pearl Mackie), after Jenna Coleman's (Clara) exit. Check out Capaldi and Mackie filming Season 10 in new photos snapped from the set below.
Here's more #petercapaldi and #pearlmackie filming #drwho with #bbc @WalesOnline pic.twitter.com/0zGt5KR4zz
— Mark Llewellyn-Jones (@llewellyn_jones) August 1, 2016
"Doctor Who" Season 10 premieres in 2017, with Matt Lucas now a series regular to reprise his role as Nardole. An annual Christmas special will air this year before the tenth season.
