Who Could Lead a Recasting of Doctor Who’s 2005 Relaunch If It Happened Today? 7 Main Characters

A new look at the Ninth Doctor era

Doctor Who has remained part of popular culture for six decades, but the show is currently in an onscreen gap. The BBC has shared plans for its return in 2028 or 2029, and hopes to announce a new partner in March 2027.

While fans wait, some are watching the series on AMC+, while others are listening to Big Finish audio dramas. The author turns to fancasting, imagining who might play characters from the 2005 relaunch if it were remade today.

Asa Butterfield as Adam Mitchell

Adam Mitchell begins as a likable young genius, then becomes selfish and is removed from the TARDIS. The author suggests Asa Butterfield for the role, pointing to his experience playing intelligent young men and morally complex characters.

Butterfield’s roles include Ender Wiggin in Ender’s Game, Gardner Elliot in The Space Between Us, and Otis in Sex Education. His performance in Unchosen, the author argues, shows he can portray someone who does wrong without making the character simply evil.

Will Poulter as Pete Tyler

Pete Tyler first appears in the Ninth Doctor’s season and returns in the Tenth Doctor’s first season. His story includes a painful moment for Rose, comic grifting and work as a resistance leader, calling for an actor able to handle contrasting sides of the same character. The author names Will Poulter, citing his work across genres and his ability to carry the emotional weight of “Father’s Day.” Poulter began in comedy, which could help him make Pete’s get-rich-quick schemes seem charming rather than slimy.

Other casting possibilities

The article also mentions Aimee Lou Wood and Robert Carlyle as possible choices to play the Doctor. Billie Piper, meanwhile, has rejected rumors that she would take on the role of the Sixteenth Doctor. The available text does not identify the remaining proposed actors among the seven main and recurring characters.