Doctor Who's Russell T Davies explains big mystery around David Tennant's new regeneration

"I was very certain that I didn't want David to appear in Jodie's costume."

By George Lewis

10 Nov 2022

Incoming Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies has explained the mystery behind David Tennant’s regeneration.

Tennant’s return in ‘The Power of the Doctor’, the BBC centenary special, shocked fans, with the actor appearing after Jodie Whittaker’s iteration of the character had departed.

Despite regenerating, Tennant’s version of the Time Lord was wearing a different outfit, with the break of tradition leading to numerous fan theories.

doctor who, david tennant as the fourteenth doctor

BBC

The explanation, however, is much simpler, with Davies explaining the decision in an interview with Doctor Who Magazine. “I was very certain that I didn't want David to appear in Jodie's costume, I think the notion of men dressing in 'women's clothes', the notion of drag, is very delicate,” he said.

“I'm a huge fan of that culture and the dignity of that, it's truly a valuable thing. But it has to be done with immense thought and respect. With respect to Jodie and her Doctor, I think it can look like mockery when a straight man wears her clothes.”

Davies, who is returning to the show after a previous stint between 2005 and 2010, also referenced how the photo could have been used should they have stuck with tradition, saying: “Also, I guarantee you it's the only photograph some of the papers would print for the rest of time.

jodie whittaker, doctor who, the power of the doctor

James Pardon/BBC Studios

"If they can pay with gender in a sarcastic or critical way, they will. The only photo they'd print would be of David in what they considered to be women's clothes. Then it becomes weaponised – as a mockery of feminine traits, a mockery of drag, of that culture. So that was never going to happen.”

Despite fans initially thinking Tennant had returned as the Tenth Doctor, his role is now as the Fourteenth Doctor, with Ncuti Gatwa set to succeed him in the role next year. The latest special also saw old favourites such as Sophie Aldred, Bonnie Langford and Janet Fielding reprise their characters.

Doctor Who returns in 2023 on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Meanwhile, in the US, the show airs on BBC America, with series 1-12 available on HBO Max. Classic Doctor Who streams on BritBox in the UK.