Doctor Who, the long running British series with a massive fanbase, is about to reveal who the 12th Doctor will be tomorrow and us Whovians couldn’t be more excited. Indeed, it almost feels like the NFL Draft or Miss America… But geekier! I’ve seen a few lists make their way around the way, but our list is the best. Why? Because we took all of our readers into consideration… Actually, let me keep it all the way real with you guys. With the exception of a few gents–and you’ll see them on the list forthcoming–I cannot believe for one nanosecond that Gallifrey is only inhabited by one race and one sex. That would be madness… And pretty freakin’ sad, if you ask me. But I digress… Here is the best list of 12th Doctor candidates you’ll ever read without further ado. Right, then. Let’s hop to it: Coming in at…
#10 – Elyes Gabel If the face looks familiar to you and you watch Game of Thrones of saw World War Z, then you’re already well acquainted with this 30 year old British thespian. He played Rakharo, Dany’s bloodrider who was unceremoniously killed off for no good bloody reason (deviation from the books) and Dr. Fassbach, the wunderkind doctor who met an equally unfortunate end in WWZ. With that said, he’s an awesome actor and while GoT proves he has the looks to be the 12th Doctor, his scene with Brad Pitt in World War Z proves he can convey a certain level of wisdom that we all love in our Doctors.
#9 – Emma Thompson I’ve been a fan of Emma Thompson since I first saw her kill it as Elinor Dashwood in 1995′s Sense and Sensibility. She upped the awesome by ten as the kooky, yet lovable, Professor Sybil Trelawney in several Harry Potter films. Let’s face it. Doctor Who needs a woman to be a Doctor for once and as soon as I thought about it she was one of the first names to come up in my top ten instantly. She’s perfect for it. We know she can act her ass off, but she can also get a little goofy. A perfect mix for being our favorite Gallifreyan.
#8 – Ioan Gruffud Yes, Fantastic Four sucked royally, but Ioan Gruffudd is still an awesome actor and his portrayal of Reed Richards was one of the few saving graces in the films. I’ve been a fan of his since Horatio Hornblower first aired on A&E back in the Nineties. Ioan would probably the closest incarnation of a David Tennant-like Doctor if you ask me. I know he’s Welsh, but that’s irrelevant. He looks the part and he could act the part.
#7 – Parminder Nagra
If you haven’t seen Bend It Like Beckham, you’ve probably seen Parminder Nagra on ER or Psych. Sure, she’s played an actual doctor but that’s not the only reason we like her. She could absolutely convey the sense of time travel weariness that Matt Smith did so well in his stint. She has vivacity and gravitas in her acting. What’s not to love?
#6 – Chiwetel Ejiofor Chiwetel Ejiofor is probably well known by Browncoats as he played The Operative in Serenity, but like Tom Hiddleston he’s an accomplished thespian. Whether playing a drag queen in the highly enjoyable Kinky Boots or holding his own weight against acting demigods Denzel Washington (Inside Man) and Angelina Jolie (Salt), Ejiofor manages to keep you locked on him. He would be a perfectly brooding Time Lord with the weight of the universe on his shoulders.
#5 – Tom Hiddleston
Don’t hate. T-Hiddles would make a great 12th Doctor. Everybody knows Tom Hiddleston by now for masterfully playing the ultimate Man of Mayhem (word to Jax Teller!) in Thor, Thor: The Dark World and a “puny god” in The Avengers but people forget the dude’s the consummate thespian. He reminds me of Sir Laurence Olivier. I don’t need to state the obvious fact that he can act, but he also has the charm necessary in a good, modern day Doctor. We’ve seen a gamut of emotions from our last two, three Docs and Tom Hiddleston can do all of them extremely well. A role in Doctor Who would help him explore his more comedic edge while giving him the necessary drama and you know what? Whovians win.
#4 – Toby Kebbell Toby Kebbell is in the top five for a reason. You may recognize him as the obnoxious coke fiend in Guy Ritchie’s RocknRolla or the comedy relief as Agenor in Wrath of the Titans. If you don’t, get ready to see him (or hear him) in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014) as he plays Koba, a rival to Ceasar (Andy Serkis). Toby’s roles here in the US may not have done him justice. Nominated and winning many awards in Britain for various roles, he’s got the chops and the swagger (as witnessed in RocknRolla) to pull of a funny, sensitive and dramatic Doctor Who.
#3 – Martin Freeman Martin Freeman is currently on lock right now between The Hobbit films and a new season of Sherlock, among other things, but he would honestly make a really awesome 12th Doctor. I’ve just now started watching Sherlock and I love him in it. He’s funny in that dry, British way. I think his portrayal as Watson and Bilbo Baggins shows that he has what it takes to get the job done. What a way to permanently bind the fandoms.
#2 – Sophie Okonedo
Sophie Okonedo is Doctor Who royalty. She played Queen Elizabeth X, better known as Liz Ten, in the second episode of series five titled “The Beast Below.” She also played the Queen of the Water Thieves in Sky’s Sinbad. She’s our runner up because she’s a vet of the show and that episode is a favorite of mine. She saved the day in many ways, and when she realized her mistake, she was quick to make up for it.
#1 – Idris Elba
Swagger, style, looks, and acting chops. Idris Elba is the perfect man for the job and the best candidate. He’s currently burning the screen up across the pond (before it arrives Stateside via BBC America) in the BBC One series Luther as Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. Elba plays a troubled man who fights crime better than he fights his demons but he brings such a humanity and vulnerability to the character, but strength as well. Driis would be epic!
So who do you “got” for 12th Doctor?