In case you thought that all of time and space might be safe with Steven Moffat stepping down as showrunner of Doctor Who, think again. The Mirror is reporting that Peter Capaldi, who is currently playing the Twelfth Doctor, is expected to leave the series with Moffat after the 2017 season.
In a cruel twist of fate Moffat will be taking our Doctor from us as his predecessor did to him when he took over for former showrunner and head writer Russel T. Davies. David Tennant was acting as the Tenth Doctor at the time.
The move appears to be an effort to allow the upcoming new showrunner, Chris Chibnall, a hand at searching and vetting his own Doctor. The source that is reportedly involved with the show states:
Bosses are already discussing a fresh start when Steven leaves. They’ve been happy with what Peter has brought to the role but some think it might make sense to give Chris his own choice of actor to play the Doctor. They hope he will be able to find someone who can have the same impact as Matt Smith did when Steven Moffat kicked off his run as executive producer.
Peter Capaldi has already said much about his departure when he first became the Doctor, notably that when he accepted the position that his regeneration scene was at the forefront of his mind. Throughout his short tenure as Doctor, Capaldi has mentioned wanting to do other things and being limited by the filming schedule for Doctor Who.
Capaldi took the role of the Twelfth Doctor in 2013, ceremoniously being introduced in the epic “The Day of the Doctor” as Matt Smith departed the role and has since been in 30 episodes over the course of two seasons. Moffat and presumably Capaldi’s last season will air in spring of 2017.
