Summary
- Russell T Davies teases the return of a classic Doctor Who villain in an upcoming episode.
- Davies said the villain was a weapon from the Ninth Doctor’s era.
- Reintroducing old villains can appeal to nostalgia if done creatively, but it comes with repetition risks.
Doctor Who has been bringing old villains back to the show. Showrunner Russell T Davies teased that another one will return in an upcoming episode.
Doctor Who has been airing for decades and it offers among the most diverse villains in the sci-fi world. The various antagonists featured on the show add more appeal to the show and only highlight the Doctor’s intelligence, morality, cleverness, and talent. Among the most popular villains in Doctor Who are the Daleks, the Cybermen, the Mastery/Missy, the Weeping Angels, the Sontarans, and the Zygons, to name a few. The franchise has continued to air after Davies revived it in 2005. However, they aren’t only giving the show a restart; they are also bringing back some old antagonists to add color to the new episodes, and one of them is coming back, according to Davies.
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Davies shared some details about the upcoming season of Doctor Who in the latest episode of Doctor Who Magazine. According to him, one classic villain will return in the next episodes of the upcoming season. “A weapon from the Ninth Doctor’s era in 2005 is about to make a terrifying return. I knew nothing about it until the writer handed in their magnificent script, and… pow! What a comeback!” Davies said. Christopher Eccleston played the Ninth Doctor in the series. There are speculations that Davies could be referring to the deadly mannequins of the revival pilot episode “Rose.” The mannequins are called Autons. They were life-sized plastic dummies controlled by Nestene Consciousness, an extraterrestrial gestalt intelligence. He could also be referring to death traps aboard Satellite Five.
Ncuti Gatwa is the Fifteenth Doctor and debuted in the franchise’s 60th anniversary special titled “The Giggle.” He led Season 14, which premiered in 2024, and will return for Season 15, which is expected to air in 2025. Gatwa’s Doctor Who season prioritizes featuring new villains instead of bringing back the old and classic ones. However, his show has made light references to earlier seasons. For instance, in the upcoming Christmas Special “Joy to the World,” the teaser featured Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor mentioning the name “Villengard.” “Biggest arms manufacturer in recorded history, very old enemies of mine,” the Doctor said. Steven Moffat introduced the villain in the episode “Villengard” to name a planet that manufactured explosives. The name was a combination of the words “villain” and “guard.”
Bringing back old villains in a series is not new, and there are several reasons why it could appeal to the audience. First, it brings nostalgia, especially to long-time viewers of Doctor Who, considering that it has been airing for decades. An old villain will reconnect them to the show and serve as a creative callback to the classic storyline. However, it should be brought back the right way, as repetition is also a risk. There should be enough balance in featuring old villains and introducing new ones. Otherwise, the audience would start to question whether the production is working on their part to innovate. When bringing back old antagonists, they should be updated to reflect the current trend so that the viewers won’t’ find them outdated. And doing this could be tricky.
Overall, it’s fine to bring back old villains, especially in long-time-running series like Doctor Who, so long as they are re-invented in a way that will appeal to new audiences. It’s a great way to capitalize on nostalgia and deepen the franchise’s mythology. At the same time, it’s a smart way to entice the younger audience to explore the villain’s past to understand their evolution.
Doctor Who’s Christmas special “Joy to the World” will premiere on December 25, 2024.
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Source: Doctor Who Magazine