John Barrowman Shares His Thoughts On ‘Doctor Who’ Casting A Female Doctor At Comic-Con
Since it was announced that Doctor Who had cast their first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker, there has been plenty of backlash over the idea of the character being played by a woman. However, while some fans of the series may not be happy, some alums of Doctor Who, such as John Barrowman, seem to be excited by the casting choice. In fact, the actor, who is at San Diego Comic-Con, was asked what he thought about Jodie Whittaker getting the part, and he opened up about his thoughts on the series as a whole.
According to Entertainment Weekly, one thing that John Barrowman had to say to the critics was to give this particular casting decision a chance. The actor shared with fans that one of the things that he really loves about the news about Jodie Whittaker taking over as the Doctor is that it ultimately caused some controversy. Barrowman pointed out that this is not the first time that the show has dealt with controversy over who would be taking on the role of the Doctor, as the same thing happened when Doctor Who went from Christopher Eccleston to David Tennant as their leading man. At the time, there were people who were unhappy with that decision.
As John Barrowman continued explaining his thoughts on this latest casting decision, he said that there will always be people who either love or hate the newest Doctor and it is simply something people have to deal with. While people may not like the idea of a female Doctor, the actor said that if fans actually buy into the world that has been created by Doctor Who, then they must commit to it wholeheartedly and follow where the Tardis takes them. He reminded fans that there is nowhere that says the Doctor must always be a male and there are no guarantees as to who the Doctor will end up regenerating into. With this series, everyone who gets on the Tardis, including the fans, are coming aboard for the experience and the journey, which includes the introduction of a new Doctor.
John Barrowman said that beyond having been a part of the series, he loves Doctor Who and he feels that everyone really needs to wait and see what happens with Jodie Whittaker as she takes the helm of the Tardis. The actor did say that the people who are critics right now might have a right to be critical, but that they should still give the actress and the show a chance to prove that this is the right decision.
With Jodie Whittaker taking over as the Doctor, it also opens the series up to some more possibilities as well, which Barrowman also pointed out when asked if the new companion might be a male. Not only did he think the concept of the female Doctor having a male companion was a great idea, but he even suggested having a transgender companion. John Barrowman said that there are any number of combinations that could end up working when it comes to the Doctor and their companion.
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