Doctor Who showrunner teases regeneration details, ‘so many Easter eggs,’ and a ‘tear-filled goodbye’ to Jodie Whittaker

Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor will fight her last battle in The Power of the Doctor (Picture: BBC Studios/James Pardon/Matt Burlem)

Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall has teased more details about Jodie Whittaker’s regeneration, promising ‘so many Easter eggs’ and a ‘tear-filled goodbye’ to our 13th Doctor.

The upcoming special, titled The Power of the Doctor, will see Jodie step down once and for all as the 13th Doctor, with Ncuti Gatwa set to take over the keys to the Tardis.

Chatting to Metro.co.uk about the emotional feature-length episode, Chris teased that Jodie’s regeneration will look very different to past Doctors.

‘It is different. It’s visually very different,’ he revealed. ‘And where it takes place is different. I think I can say that without it being too much of a spoiler. It definitely feels different. It’s not going to take place in the same place as the previous regenerations’.

All of the other Doctors of New Who – Christopher Eccleston, David Tennant, Matt Smith and Peter Capaldi – have regenerated in the Tardis.

‘There are surprises still to come – big, big surprises,’ Chris added of the highly-anticipated episode.

‘There are so many Easter eggs in there for people who have been watching the show over the years. There are things for really, really hardcore fans, and even the more casual viewers. There’s lots to get your teeth into.’

‘It’s a huge, epic, fast roller coaster ride of an episode,’ he went on. ‘It’s probably the biggest episode of Doctor Who we’ve yet made. It features the return of Tegan and Ace from the classic series of Doctor Who, Janet Fielding and Sophie Aldred who are phenomenal.

‘It has an evil trio of monsters – the Daleks, Cybermen and The Master, played by Sacha Dhawan. And Sacha playing the Master as you’ve never seen him before in Doctor Who. It goes all across time and space, it’s connecting the past, present, and future of Doctor Who, it’s very exciting, it’s funny, and there will be tears at the end of the 13th Doctor.’

Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall are stepping down together (Picture: Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for IMDb)

As always, there are some stellar fan theories floating about, including the idea that, instead of regenerating straight into Ncuti, Jodie’s Doctor will regenerate into David Tennant’s 10th Doctor (or a version of him) to set up the 60th anniversary next year.

Chris responded: ‘I haven’t seen that but it’s made me laugh!

‘There’s fan theories on everything, I seem to remember there was a fan theory that Graham would turn out to be the Doctor, that Bradley Walsh was a secret Doctor in disguise.’

Ultimately, through, Chris said The Power of the Doctor will be a ‘celebration’ of all things Who – even if we all do end up sobbing at the end.

The Master (Sacha Dhawan) makes his return ‘as we’ve never seen him’ alongside Yaz (Mandip Gill) and the Doctor (Picture: BBC Studios/James Pardon)

‘It was a great way to go out because it’s such fun and it starts at 100 miles per hour and it doesn’t let up for the whole 90 minutes,’ he reflected, adding that viewers will want to ‘do it all over again’.

‘The brilliant thing about Doctor Who, the great design of it is there’s this incredible emotional swell as you say goodbye to one Doctor and, instantly, you get the thrill of the next Doctor. It’s so great,’ he explained.

‘The unique thing about this show, and the unique thing about these moments – there’s not many of them across the years – it’s the incredible moment of saying goodbye to a beloved character, to an extraordinary Doctor in Jodie Whittaker, and it’s a very, very tear-filled goodbye, but then there’s great excitement about what comes next as well.

‘It’s a very celebratory episode, it’s very celebratory of Jodie as the Doctor, of Doctor Who, of the show, and its place within the BBC.’

Tissues at the ready, gang.

The Power of the Doctor will air on October 23 at 7:30pm on BBC One.

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Jodie Whittaker’s regeneration will be ‘very different’ to past Doctors.