Doctor Who won’t be back on the air until the annual Christmas episode, but with season 10 currently in production, BBC has finally revealed who will be the new companion on the series. And the answer is Pearl Mackie!
BBC’s official announcement went out today, and Mackie is set to play a young woman named Bill. Mackie is currently one of the stars of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time as a part of e National Theatre’s West End in London. But you know what? Mackie isn’t really well known in the U.K. or in the U.S. yet, but that is gonna change really quickly.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining the Doctor Who family,” said Mackie. “It’s such an extraordinary British institution, I couldn’t be prouder to call the TARDIS my home. Reading the script at the audition I thought Bill was wicked,” she added. “Fantastically written, cool, strong, sharp, a little bit vulnerable with a bit of geekiness thrown in – I can’t wait to bring her to life, and to see how she develops through the series.”
In a nice twist, BBC actually shot and released a new scene with Peter Capaldi as the Twelfth Doctor to formally introduce Mackie as Bill while she gets an impromptu introduction to the Doctor’s greatest foes: the Daleks!
Related: Peter Capaldi May Stay on Doctor Who Past Season 10
Capaldi added that “it is a genuine delight to welcome Pearl Mackie to Doctor Who. A fine, fine actress with a wonderful zest and charm, she’s a refreshing addition to the Tardis and will bring a universe of exciting new possibilities to the Doctor’s adventures.”
The tenth season of the revived Doctor Who series will premiere in 2017, which will also be the final season of longtime showrunner Steven Moffat. It’s currently unknown if Capaldi will remain in the lead role after season 10, but it’s likely that Mackie will be the transition character for a new Doctor, just as Jenna Coleman’s Clara Oswald traveled with the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith) and Capaldi’s Twelfth Doctor.
What do you think about the new companion on Doctor Who? Let us know in the comment section below!
