Doctor Who fans have wild theory for Episode 6 that includes classic character’s return

The next episode of Doctor Who Season 14 will take the time travelers to the Regency era, but there’s one guest star who’s the center of a major fan theory.

There’s not much known about the newest Doctor Who episode, other than it’s a Bridgerton-style adventure with bird-people causing chaos. But it is confirmed that it’ll see Jonathan Groff join the Doctor and Ruby as Rogue, a mysterious figure who’s said to “change the Doctor’s life forever.”

Rogue can be seen in the trailer for the new episode, titled ‘Rogue’, and the small glimpses of him are enough to make fans think that he’s a reincarnation of a very familiar face and ex-traveler: Captain Jack Harkness.

Being an enigmatic figure who appears in the time period (as well as an American man) has led fans to think that he could be Captain Jack. He’s even seen holding some kind of space gun, which is very much something Jack would do, since the character was a Time Agent who had plenty of his own technology.

“Bloody hell, they recast Captain Jack (only half joking),” said one Reddit user after seeing the trailer.

Others on the thread agreed, with varying theories. Some suggested that Jack has, in fact, been recast, while others went the route of Rogue being an associate of Jack’s.

“I think they’d avoid recasting Jack but wouldn’t be surprised if he knows or is related to Jack,” said one comment. While another added: “I think he’s gonna be a new character but share some intersections with Jack in spirit and be the Doctor’s new will-they-won’t-they romance. That’s what I think anyway.”

“The one line he had in the trailer sounds exactly like Jack,” one comment pointed out. Another also said: “And in another trailer the Doctor is seen doing the salute he does to Jack presumably as Groff is leaving. In all the footage I’ve seen he just sounds like him, how he speaks and what he says.”

“The guy playing Rogue actually used the Captain Jack voice. It’s leading more and more to him being a recast Captain Jack (or maybe just another time agent),” another suggested.

One fan simply said: “If Jonathan Groff isn’t Captain Jack (or at least a new rogue time agent) then I’ll eat a sock.”

Captain Jack previously joined the Whoniverse back when the Ninth Doctor reined supreme, played by John Barrowman. Since then, he’s appeared in multiple episodes and storylines, and even starred in the spinoff series, Torchwood. Most recently, he appeared in the 2020 episode ‘Fugitive of the Judoon’ and the 2021 special ‘Revolution of the Daleks’.

For more Who, check out all the best Doctor Who villains. Or, take a look at our ‘Dot and Bubble’ recap. You can also find out all about Susan Twist, and find out how to watch Doctor Who Season 14, wherever you are.