Doctor Who celebrates its 60th anniversary in 2023, and here is everyone confirmed or rumored to be returning for the celebratory specials. Filming for the rumored three feature-length special episodes began earlier in the year, with casting being confirmed ahead of the shoot moving out of the studio and on to locations in and around London and Bristol. Traditionally, Doctor Who anniversary specials have celebrated the show's past by bringing back previous monsters, Doctors, and companions. From what's been revealed so far via official and unofficial sources, the 60th anniversary will be no exception.
Doctor Who set a precedent for celebratory Doctor Who crossover stories back in 1972 by uniting the first three Doctors for the opening serial of season 10, The Three Doctors. Even though the serial aired almost a full year before Doctor Who's 10th anniversary, it formed the template for future anniversary stories like 1983's The Five Doctors and 2013's Day of the Doctor. So far, only one Doctor has been confirmed to star in the 60th, with many others rumored to feature. Viewers can also, presumably, expect to see Ncuti Gatwa make his debut in the special to assume the reins for his new era in 2024.
New actors confirmed for Doctor Who's 60th include Neil Patrick Harris as a villain and Heartstopper's Yasmin Finney as a character called Rose, but not the one immortalized by Billie Piper. Actors that are unlikely to return include Christopher Eccleston, whose 60th-anniversary story has been confirmed to be an Big Finish audio drama. However, there are a number of other Doctor Who stars and characters that have been either confirmed or rumored to return to celebrate Doctor Who's 60th anniversary.
Russell T Davies as Writer and Showrunner (Confirmed)
The return of Russell T Davies to Doctor Who was confirmed back in September 2021, with the BBC confirming that the critically acclaimed screenwriter would be helming "the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who, and series beyond." It was Davies who brought Doctor Who back to screens so successfully in 2005, and it's hoped that his new era will be every bit as bold as his first. This forward-looking approach was confirmed by his choice of Doctor, Sex Education's Ncuti Gatwa, but then RTD surprised everyone by revealing who would be returning for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary.
David Tennant as the Doctor (Confirmed)
David Tennant's return was confirmed shortly after Ncuti Gatwa's casting, which caused much speculation as to how exactly he would appear in the 60th anniversary. RTD played up to this speculation by mentioning parallel universes, flashbacks, and tricks in his announcement. Photos of location filming for the special shows Tennant in a very different costume to the one he wore as the Tenth Doctor. While the silhouette is the same, the color of the coat and the pattern on the suit is far different from anything previously worn by the Tenth Doctor.
It's heavily rumored that Jodie Whittaker will regenerate into David Tennant during her last adventure, a regeneration theory backed by the Doctor Who story "Timeslip." Published in Doctor Who Weekly back in the early 80s, it saw the Fourth Doctor propelled back through his previous incarnations. So while David Tennant's involvement is confirmed, the exact incarnation he'll be playing in the 60th is still the stuff of rumor and conjecture.
Catherine Tate as Donna Noble (Confirmed)
ing David Tennant will be Catherine Tate as Donna Noble, who had her memory wiped of all her adventures with the Doctor, who warned her family that if she ever ed them, she would die. Perhaps the Doctor has finally figured out a way to restore Donna's memories of her time in the TARDIS without burning her fragile human mind, rewriting her Doctor Who fate. Photos of the location filming confirm that Donna will be ed by her mother Sylvia, husband Shaun, and her daughter Rose, whose lives are interrupted by the unexpected return of the Doctor.
Bernard Cribbins as Wilfred Mott (Rumored)
Also likely ing Donna will be her grandfather Wilfred Mott, who became a much-loved character throughout Doctor Who season 4, eventually becoming a fully fledged companion in David Tennant's final adventure. Bernard Cribbins hasn't been officially confirmed to star in the special, but was seen on location, filming scenes with David Tennant and Catherine Tate. However, Bernard Cribbins sadly ed away at 93, shortly after his probable filming for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, it's unclear if he finished his scenes. It's hoped that Doctor Who's 60th anniversary will serve as a fitting tribute to the beloved actor.
Neil Patrick Harris as The Toymaker (Rumored)
Neil Patrick Harris will play the villain in Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, and it's been heavily implied that he'll be playing a returning enemy. Photos of toy shops and circus tents from the location filming suggest he'll be resurrecting the 1960s villain, the Toymaker, who was last mentioned in Doctor Who season 11, episode 8, "Can You Hear Me?" but not actually seen on-screen since 1966. In subsequent appearances promoting his new Netflix show Uncoupled, Neil Patrick Harris said that he wasn't allowed to talk about who he plays in the special, further emphasizing the possibility that he'll be playing a returning villain that RTD doesn't want spoiled in advance.
Rachel Talalay as Director (Confirmed)
Rachel Talalay was confirmed to be directing at least one of the rumored three anniversary specials. The director was a regular fixture of Steven Moffat and Peter Capaldi's Doctor Who era and helmed some of his best-loved stories, including season 9, episode 11, the critically acclaimed "Heaven Sent." Talalay's involvement in the 60th anniversary has led to speculation that Peter Capaldi and his former companion Matt Lucas may have also been enticed back to Doctor Who.
Matt Lucas as Nardole (Rumored)
While in the UK for Doctor Who's 60th anniversary, Rachel Talalay shared a photo of her and Matt Lucas on social media. It led many fans to speculate that Nardole and the Twelfth Doctor could appear alongside the Tenth Doctor and Donna during 2023's specials. Lucas and Russell T Davies have previously worked together on RTD's adaptations of Casanova and Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream for the BBC, so it's not completely outside the realm of possibility for Doctor Who's Nardole to make a return.
Peter Capaldi as The Twelfth Doctor (Rumored)
Another actor snapped with Talalay during her time in the UK was Peter Capaldi, which predictably sent fans into speculative overdrive. Like Christopher Eccleston, Peter Capaldi has previously stated his disinterest in returning to Doctor Who for multi-Doctor story. However, the original press release announcing David Tennant and Catherine Tate's return to Doctor Who alluded to the pair filming "scenes to coincide with the show's 60th anniversary." This suggests that if there's a multi-Doctor element, it may be multiple Doctors involved in separate adventures linked by a narrative thread, which would allow Capaldi to return solo. Rachel Talalay addressed Peter Capaldi's potential return by stating that "Tea/coffee with a friend is tea with a friend." However, her mention of a non-disclosure agreement and her refusal to confirm or deny Capaldi's involvement only fueled the speculation further.
Matt Smith as The Eleventh Doctor (Rumored)
Matt Smith was the incumbent Doctor during the 50th anniversary, starring alongside David Tennant and John Hurt in Day of the Doctor, and fans believe he could return for the 60th. Unlike Capaldi, Matt Smith hasn't been linked to the director of the special, nor has he been rumored to be anywhere near filming. However, David Tennant has revealed that the location filming and his own involvement is a small part of a much bigger adventure. This suggests the possibility that other Doctors like Smith and Capaldi have been filming their own scenes for the 60th anniversary on secure sets, far away from the prying smartphones of Doctor Who fans. If that's the case then there will surely be many more exciting surprises awaiting Doctor Who fans when the anniversary specials air in 2023.