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John Barrowman Teases Return Of Captain Jack To ‘Doctor Who’?

By Ny MaGee
Published on: 10:16 PST, May 12, 2016

John Barrowman sent Doctor Who fans into a bit of a frenzy this week, when he revealed that he was back in Cardiff for a book signing, but teased that he would be returning to the city the following week. While he didn’t reveal the reason for his return trip, Wales Online is one of many sites to join in on speculation that he could be filming the new season of the long-running British science-fiction series or the Christmas Special. In his video update, Barrowman told fans, “I’m back in Cardiff in about a week and a half… but I’m not telling you what for.”

Check out the video below.

Barrowman spent several months out of the year living in Cardiff while filming for both Doctor Who and its spinoff show Torchwood before its cancellation. Peter Capaldi recently revealed that his new companion (played by Pearl Mackie) won’t be making an appearance until the beginning of Series 10. That means, there’s an opening for a sidekick, and Captain Jack Harkness has always been a popular choice.

Captain Jack, the omnisexual time traveler from the 51st century, first appears in the 2005 Doctor Who episode “The Empty Child,” and he explored time and space as The Doctor’s companion in the remaining episodes of the 2005 series. Jack later became the central character in Torchwood, which aired from 2006-2011. Barrowman also reprised the role for guest appearances in Doctor Who for the 2007 series and 2008 series, as well as the two-part special The End of Time.

Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat is preparing to bow out of the series, and Captain Jack is his creation. It’s only fitting that he would want to celebrate his special character with a memorable send-off episode, as he did with River Song. Back in 2014, Moffat hinted at a possible return for both characters.

“It’s never, ever closed off. It’s all about ‘Do you have a story that’s worth it?’ Unless you’ve got a story that is absolutely informed and invigorated by their presence, just bringing a character back in an ordinary story won’t do. Both River Song and Jack Harkness are massive characters in ‘Doctor Who’ mythology. Their returns would have to be seismic, not routine.”

Openly gay Barrowman is an artistic master of both the stage and screen, and a classically trained singer. He met his husband, Scott Gill, during a production of Rope at the Chichester Festival Theatre in 1993, and their relationship has often been plagued with rumors of infidelity on John’s part. In the clip below, the Scotland-born actor wonders if sharing a kiss with a beautiful stranger is grounds for a divorce.

Speaking to the Ipswich Star last year, (via Den of Geek), John said that “the popularity of Captain Jack has not decreased around the world, it’s actually gotten stronger and we’re doing some audio plays that are coming out a little later this year.”

“I have to be honest, one person who’s keeping Captain Jack alive is John Barrowman because I’m plugging him, promoting him and making sure he’s kept out there,” he added. “Because one day he will return. I think [the writers] would be very silly not to bring him back.”

British actress Pearl Mackie was recently announced as Bill, the new Doctor Who companion. She is known for her role on the West End’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time. She replaces Jenna Coleman, who left the show after serving as companion to the 11th (Matt Smith) and 12th (Peter Capaldi) Doctors. Mackie’s episodes will premiere in 2017.

John Barrowman continues to work on Torchwood audio adventures and was last seen in Season 4 of the superhero television series Arrow. In March, the series was renewed for a fifth season.

What do you think of a possible John Barrowman return to Doctor Who. Leave your comments below.

[Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP Images]

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