Doctor Who Season 15: Release window, cast, plot & more
BBC/Disney+With Ncuti Gatwa’s era now in full swing, everyone’s looking ahead. Here’s everything we know about Doctor Who Season 15, including details on the release window, cast, and potential storylines.
Doctor Who Season 14 has been a real ride, for better or worse. We’ve had talking babies, off-brand versions of The Beatles, and a PG-13 iteration of Bridgerton. But for the Doctor and Ruby Sunday, their adventures are only just starting.
Like many of the best versions of the Doctor, Gatwa’s tenure will span multiple seasons. That introduces potential for a whole new load of fearsome Doctor Who villains, adventures in the TARDIS, and plenty of twists.
So, what’s the deal with Doctor Who Season 15? Is it already in the works? Here’s everything you need to know.
Doctor Who Season 15: Is there a release date?
There’s no confirmed release date, but according to showrunner Russell T Davies, Doctor Who Season 15 will arrive sometime in May 2025.
Either way, it’s definitely happening, and they began filming before Season 14 even aired.
Davies previously told Big Issue: “If I sound a bit hyper, it’s because I just this morning delivered a Doctor Who script that will be on air in May 2025.”
Season 14 released in May 2024, so a yearly release around the same time would make sense. It was also in May 2024 that Davies had confirmed Season 15 had wrapped production, which started back in October 2023.
Initially, fans weren’t so hot on the idea of Season 14 only having eight episodes. But if the new count has proven one thing, it’s that the new seasons are coming faster than ever before, and at least there won’t be long to wait before the Doctor returns.
Who’s in Doctor Who Season 15?
Ncuti Gatwa will be returning as the Fifteenth Doctor, as well as Millie Gibson, who plays companion Ruby Sunday.
Gibson was previously said to be leaving the show after her stint in Season 14, though the actress herself later denied this in an interview with Variety, and confirmed that she’s very much in Season 15.
It was previously announced that Andor’s Varada Sethu was joining as a second companion. Although she appeared in one of Season 14’s episodes (‘Boom’) as a character called Mundy Flynn, it’s not expected this’ll be the new companion.
It’s something of a tradition for Doctor Who to reuse actors for different roles, so her character is still under wraps for now.
Jonah Hauer-King, who Disney fans will recognize from 2023’s The Little Mermaid live-action movie, will also guest star in the new season. Some have theorized that his character will be Ruby Sunday’s love interest, but on the other hand, some on-set images definitely give off a Saxon-style villain vibe.
And of course, there’s always Mrs Flood. After the Season 14 finale revealed she isn’t the harmless elderly neighbor we assumed, it’s expected she’ll come back in a huge way in Season 15. As such, we fully expect to see Anita Dobson reprise the role.
Here’s the full Doctor Who Season 15 cast so far:
- Ncuti Gatwa as the Doctor
- Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday
- Varada Sethu as TBC
- Jonah Hauer-King as TBC
- Anita Dobson as Mrs Flood
How many episodes will there be?
There will be eight episodes of Doctor Who Season 15, as well as a Christmas Special.
This matches the number of episodes in Season 14, and not everyone is happy about it. Episode names and plot details are still unconfirmed, but episodes will be split between directors Alex Pillai and Peter Hoar.
However, we know Steven Moffat has penned the upcoming 2024 Christmas special, ‘Joy to the World’. This’ll be Moffat’s 50th episode of the revival era (since 2005). It will apparently take place during the Second World War and star Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan. Something to look forward to!
Davies wrote six out of the eight episodes in Season 14, so fans will be waiting to see if he opens up the doors for more writers in Season 15.
Plot details and theories
The Doctor will continue his time-travelling adventures with Ruby in Season 15. The main arc of the season is unknown, but we expect it’ll lead to Mrs Flood becoming a major villain.
Anyone who knows Doctor Who will know there’s usually one overarching mystery surrounding each instalment. Season 14 had two: Ruby Sunday’s mysterious origins, and Susan Twist.
Season 14 resolved both of these. Ruby’s mother was revealed to be a very normal woman who had her when she was a teenager. Susan Twist, on the other hand, turned out to be a creation of Sutekh.
Season 15 will likely start from scratch, so we’ll need to wait and see what the first few new Doctor Who episodes have in store before we can even begin to speculate.
As above, it’s very likely Mrs Flood will continue to show up, and perhaps even serve as Season 15’s main villain.
One thing fans will no doubt want to see is the reappearance of Rogue, and the development of his romance with the Doctor. The two kissed in ‘Rogue’, and he banished himself alongside the Chuldur as a self-sacrifice. Given his plea to the Doctor before he left (“Find me”), it wouldn’t be completely unexpected if the two crossed paths again.
BBC/Disney+We also know Millie Gibson is leaving after Season 15, meaning there’ll likely be a lot in store for Ruby. She and the Doctor may have parted ways, but with Gibson returning, she’ll likely rejoin him on some travels.
Plus, there’s the Doctor’s new companion, played by Varada Sethu. The new season will need to cover their meeting and their relationship, and there’s no telling just who she’ll turn out to be or what she’ll meant to the Doctor.
But, everyone knows that if there’s anything more exciting than a new Doctor, it’s a new companion!
That’s all we know about Doctor Who Season 15 so far. For more, check out our feature on why The Fifteenth Doctor’s costume is secretly brilliant. If you want to look back, check out our favorite episodes with our ’73 Yards’ review and ‘Rouge’ review.
Or, if you want to rewatch all over again, find out how to watch Doctor Who Season 14.