It's a "Doctor Who" tradition to release Christmas episodes annually and this year is no exception. For this year's Christmas special, a recurring character will fill the space of the Doctor's companion prior to Pearl Mackie's debut as Bill -- the new companion -- in next year's Season 10. The Christmas special will also feature a guest character to be portrayed by Canadian actor Justin Chatwin.
According to Radio Times, Chatwin will play a superhero character in this year's "Doctor Who" Christmas special. The 33-year-old actor is known for his roles in "War of the Worlds" as the son of Tom Cruise's character, as Jimmy/Steve in Showtime's "Shameless," and as Goku in "Dragonball: Evolution."
"It is expected that he will portray a brash figure with an American accent -- and in all likelihood a few dark interstellar secrets of one sort or another," Radio Times added about Chatwin's "Doctor Who" casting. Chatwin recently tweeted about his last day filming at BBC Studios in Cardiff, where the majority of "Doctor Who" episodes are filmed.
Double rainbow oh my god on my last day at @BBC studios this morning pic.twitter.com/KVxmrccUue
— Justin Chatwin (@Justingchatwin) September 30, 2016
Matt Lucas will reprise his role as Nardole in the Christmas special to momentarily fill the companion's shoes. Nardole was last seen in 2015's Christmas special, "The Husbands of River Song," which centered on the Doctor's (Peter Capaldi) wife, River Song (Alex Kingston). Nardole was also confirmed to appear in Season 10 of "Doctor Who," The Independent reported.
"Doctor Who" head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat revealed that the Christmas special will have "a lot of heart...[and] a lot of brain too," Radio Times noted. Mark Gatiss, the sci-fi series' sometime writer, said that he cried while reading the upcoming Christmas episode's script.
"Doctor Who" Season 10 will premiere in April. Michelle Gomez will likely return as Missy and ITV's "Jekyll and Hyde" star Stephanie Hyam will have a minor role, according to ScreenCrush. Check out a behind-the-scenes snapshot of Capaldi filming Season 10 below.
Peter Capaldi looking very dapper (as he always does!) #behindthescenes on series 10 #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/n2NzGUTywP — Doctor Who Official (@bbcdoctorwho) October 2, 2016
During the Awesome Con panel in Washington, D.C. last June, Capaldi hinted that Jenna Coleman can still return as Clara in "Doctor Who" Season 10. The Scottish actor said that he isn't sure "how successfully Clara was able to wipe his mind [during her exit]," per the Radio Times.
"I just shot something that Clara was still there in," the "Doctor Who" star added. Of course, he didn't confirm whether Clara's appearance involves the character coming face-to-face with the Time Lord in the flesh or if she's just a fragment of memory.
