‘Doctor Who’ Casting: ‘Star Wars’ Actress Set To Replace Peter Capaldi

Phoebe Waller-Bridge has allegedly been lined up to replace Peter Capaldi as Doctor Who, which if it proves to be true would continue what’s been a tremendous couple of months for the young actress. Not only has her sitcom Fleabag been met with stunning reviews, and lavished with praise on both sides of the Atlantic, she has also recently been cast in the still untitled Han Solo film.

Landing the leading role in Doctor Who might just eclipse all of these prior achievements, though, especially as she would become the first actress to play the iconic role in the series. The most recent speculation has suggested that Phoebe Waller-Bridge is now the front-runner to play the Time Lord, and, according to an insider, bosses over at the BBC believe she is the perfect candidate to step into the void left by Peter Capaldi.

Beeb bosses love Phoebe. They thought she did an amazing job with Fleabag and is certainly one of the rising stars in TV and film. They see her as a perfect fit as a Time Lord and the first female Doctor Who.

The BBC source’s remarks to the Mirror come just a few days after Phoebe Waller-Bridge responded to the speculation linking her to the titular role in Doctor Who herself. At first, Phoebe Waller-Bridge remained very much on the fence, remarking, “I am not allowed to say anything about that, one way or the other.” However, while Bridge later admitted to TV Guide that she loves the bits of Doctor Who that she has watched, she appeared to be more enthused about the fact that women were being considered for the role, instead of it just being the usual roll-call of male actors in contention.

“It’s so cool that they’re talking about a woman being the next Doctor Who. There are so many rumours flying around but I think it’s a great time for it and there are so many great actresses out there who I think would kill it. I love the bits that I’ve watched but I haven’t watched that many bits!”

It is obviously still not a certainty that Phoebe Waller-Bridge will actually be cast as the 13th version of the Doctor, though, and as recently as last week there was a tidal wave of speculation linking Death In Paradise actor Kris Marshall to the part. So much so that he was even made the odds-on favorite for the role. There has been an increased demand for the titular star of Doctor Who to be more diverse, because over the course of the show’s 52-year history it has always been led by a straight, white, and male actor.

In the meantime, though, Phoebe Waller-Bridge is currently hard at work on the still untitled Han Solo film, which has been written by Lawrence Kasdan and his son Jon Kasdan and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Because of the huge amount of secrecy surrounding the Han Solo film we’re still not exactly sure who the actress is playing in the film. Phoebe Waller-Bridge provided an update on its production during her recent interview with the Playlist, as she unsurprisingly admitted that she was “having a wicked time” working on the film.

“I’m having a wicked time. It’s Star Wars. It doesn’t get much cooler than that, does it? It’s the ultimate moviemaking experience, being in Star Wars.”

We’ll finally get to see Phoebe Waller Bridge’s performance in the Han Solo film when it’s finally released in cinemas on May 25, 2018.

[Featured Image by BBC]