After months of speculation, it’s official: Disney+ is ending its partnership with the BBC on Doctor Who after just two seasons and an upcoming spin-off, The War Between the Land and the Sea.
Disney’s partnership with the series began in 2023, right in time for the 60th Anniversary and Ncuti Gatwa to take the reigns.
The BBC confirmed the split, reassuring fans that the long-running sci-fi series “is not going anywhere.” The show will return with a brand-new Christmas special in 2026, written by current showrunner Russell T Davies, while future seasons and a new animated project for preschool audiences are already in the works.
“Disney has been a terrific global partner over the past two seasons,” said BBC drama director Lindsay Salt. “We can assure fans the Doctor is not going anywhere.”
Prior to this announcement, the network had already dismissed tabloid rumors that the show was being canceled due to so-called “wokery” or that lead star Ncuti Gatwa was quitting. “This story is incorrect,” the BBC said earlier this year. “Doctor Who has not been shelved.”
Gatwa’s Resilience and the Show’s Queer Legacy
Gatwa, who made history as the first Black and openly queer actor to play the Doctor, has faced both backlash and overwhelming love since stepping into the iconic role. In his debut run, he shared a romantic storyline with Jonathan Groff’s character, Rogue, a moment celebrated by many fans for pushing sci-fi representation forward.
“I wouldn’t be the only Black lead that’s taken over a sci-fi franchise that would have received that sort of treatment,” Gatwa told Vanity Fair. “Unfortunately, those are voices that exist in fandoms — but they’re not the only voices.”
Instead of focusing on negativity, Gatwa’s attention remains on the joy and community the series has brought him. “I just remember feeling a lot of warmth and love, being embraced into a big nerd family,” he said. “When we’re shooting Doctor Who, there are fans outside the studio or on location every single time, be it at 4 a.m., be it minus-12 degrees.”
Gatwa said goodbye to the Doctor after the season 2 finale. “This journey has been one that I will never forget,” he said in a statement at the time, “and a role that will be part of me forever.”
Rumor has it the next Doctor will be none other than Billie Piper, yep, Rose Tyler herself. But instead of revealing her in the finale, the episode ended with a simple tease: “And introducing Billie Piper.” What that means for the Whoniverse, we’ll have to wait and see.
“It’s no secret how much I love this show, and I have always said I would love to return to the Whoniverse as I have some of my best memories there, so to be given the opportunity to step back on that TARDIS one more time was just something I couldn’t refuse,” Piper said.
What’s Next for the TARDIS
The Doctor’s next adventure? A 2026 Christmas special, and beyond that, new worlds, new faces, and more of the queer, timey-wimey storytelling that’s kept Doctor Who alive for over six decades.
Because, as Davies once said, Doctor Who will never truly end.
