Next Doctor Who companion to be a new character

Doctor Who fans wondering if a current or pre-existing character might replace Jenna Coleman as the next companion can think again.

Showrunner Steven Moffat is looking ahead rather than within.

“I’m not making any promises, but that’s my genuine belief at the moment,” he told press. “Because I think to throw away the chance to say ‘You can start here’ is foolish. If you say, ‘You could start here, but (because the companion is) somebody you have to know all about’ then you’ve lost that.

“I think every time we get a new companion – even more so than a new Doctor – you are sort of saying, ‘This is the beginning. This is where it starts. You can join in here’.”

That means the idea of Ashildr (Maisie Williams) or Osgood (Ingrid Oliver) hitching a ride can be ruled out.

“It did work very well with Catherine Tate, but that’s not the direction we’re currently going in. I quite like where we’ve got Osgood at the moment.”

Star Peter Capaldi is leaning towards a “working-class” partner for his next companion.

“It’s one of the things I loved about Billie Piper. That was a very new thing in Doctor Who – to have somebody who lived on an estate, and had a much earthier sound to their voice,” he said.

“I mean, I love Jenna – I’m really sad that she’s gone, and I feel quite bad discussing the possibility of somebody else. So it’s no reflection on her. But I think it might be interesting to have somebody who’s a little more earthy!”

Meanwhile Moffat also doesn’t rule out a return by Clara (Coleman) at some point in the future.

“It can never be true in Doctor Who – you can never say that someone can never come back. They always can, because it’s a show about time travel. So it’s entirely possible.”

Both Moffat and Capaldi will appear the the Doctor Who Festival in Sydney later this month, with Moffat also appearing at a Sherlock event in Melbourne.

Source: Digital Spy