Jodie Whittaker’s "Doctor Who" regeneration will be slightly different

Unlike her predecessors, Thirteen is thinking outside the box

Published February 13, 2022 8:00PM (EST)

Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor in "Doctor Who" (Adrian Rogers)
Jodie Whittaker as the Thirteenth Doctor in "Doctor Who" (Adrian Rogers)

This story originally appeared on Winter is Coming.

Every Doctor on "Doctor Who" eventually regenerates, with the old actor making way for a new one to take their place. So it will be with Jodie Whittaker's Thirteenth Doctor. But while most Doctor's regenerate in the safety of the TARDIS, Whittaker's Doctor will do things a bit differently.

"We shot the last-ever scene in the TARDIS, and said goodbye to the TARDIS, and then there were some tears," director Jamie Magnus Stone told Radio Times. "And then we went out to film, basically, her regeneration."

And the last shot that we did, I think, will be the last shot in the episode as well. So it was really nice to do things in sequence. And it was mostly Jodie and [Mandip Gill's] scenes on that last day. So it was just super-emotional.

It'll be fun to see "Doctor Who" tackle this key moment in a slightly different way when the Doctor regenerates later this year.

For Jodie Whittaker, shooting the regeneration scene was "the most emotional day on set I think I've ever had"

According to Stone, Whittaker gave a "wonderful speech" on the last day. "It all worked out really nicely. I think everything we shot that day is going to be absolutely lovely. Yeah, I can't wait to show you guys."

Whittaker herself has weighed in on that final day of shooting. "I've shot my version of regen[eration], and it was singularly the most emotional day on set I think I've ever had," she told Entertainment Weekly. "It's a really bizarre feeling, because it's the best time I've ever had on a job, and I made the decision to leave it, so it's a really strange thing to do to yourself."

Jodie Whittaker's final episode as the Doctor will air sometime this year, although we don't know exactly when. In the meantime, to enjoy one more standalone episode featuring the Doctor and her current companions, "The Legend of the Sea Devils," before that.

As for who is replacing Whittaker, that's still an open question. We know that her companions are leaving along with her, and that original showrunner Russell T. Davies is returning for season 14.


By Dan Selcke

MORE FROM Dan Selcke


Related Topics ------------------------------------------

Brief Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker Tardis Tv Winter Is Coming