Summary
Actor Samuel West wants to bring classic
Doctor Who
villain Morbius back to face Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor.
Morbius is a disgraced Time Lord who aims for conquest and has appeared in various
Doctor Who
stories since 2008.
West expresses excitement about potentially reprising his role on screen and working with Gatwa, praising the show’s current state.
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One-time Doctor Who actor Samuel West hopes to bring classic Time Lord villain Morbius back to face Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor. While he has provided the voice of Morbius since 2008’s Eighth Doctor audio drama “The Vengeance of Morbius,” West made his Doctor Who debut as Cyrian, companion to fellow Gallifreyan scientist The Rani, in the infamous 1993 Children In Need special Dimensions In Time. Morbius was a disgraced Time Lord who violated Gallifrey’s laws with his lust for conquest and was executed, though his mind would live on.
West will return to Doctor Who in April in Big Finish’s Dark Gallifrey: Morbius, and he shared his ideal story for a future Fifteenth Doctor adventure with Radio Times. Opening up about his hopes of reprising his role in the television series, West discussed the potential Morbius could bring while praising his excitement for Gatwa’s tenure in the TARDIS. Check out West’s explanation below:
I’d love to [play Morbius on screen]. I hope I would be on the list for people should he return. It’s always hard to know what sort of shape he’s going to be in. It may be that they need somebody who looks different or sounds different or moves differently… but Morbius is the gift that keeps on giving. He keeps coming back, and it seems impossible to annihilate him. I’d love to. I think [the show] is in very good shape. I think Ncuti is brilliant casting and I’d love to work with him. I think he’s a fantastic actor. So yeah, I’m cheap and available!
Related Doctor Who Season 14: Release Date, Cast, Trailer & Everything We Know Doctor Who season 14 is arriving after the 60th anniversary special, and with it Ncuti Gatwa’s new Doctor. Here’s everything we know so far.
Is It The Perfect Time For A “The Brain of Morbius” Sequel?
Doctor Who Might Have An Opportunity To Look Back
While Morbius has never made an appearance in Doctor Who’s revival era, “The Brain of Morbius” has been carried on through many key stories. Under then-showrunner Steven Moffat, Karn and the Sisterhood featured in both the 50th anniversary special and season 9, playing a key part in the Eighth Doctor’s influenced Time War regeneration and the Twelfth Doctor’s return to Gallifrey. Meanwhile, the mysterious pre-Hartnell Doctors established in the story would play a key part in the “Timeless Child” storyline of Chris Chibnall and Jodie Whittaker’s era.
With both the Sisterhood of Karn and pre-Hartnell Doctors playing key roles in Doctor Who’s present, now may be the best time to reintroduce Morbius. Gatwa’s era of Doctor Who is seemingly less lore-heavy for the benefit of any new viewers, but Morbius is a perfect example of the worst a Time Lord can be due to his aspiring warmonger origins. As such, Morbius would show audiences how Time Lords can violate their power without relying on The Master, while continuing classic series storylines.
While the Doctor may be a beloved hero to the universe, his Time Lord foes such as Morbius, The Master, The Rani, and Rassilon are proof of how their power can corrupt. Not only have their appearances led to them becoming some of the series’ most memorable villains, but they provide an interesting perspective on the fragility of time, and how easily a twisted mind could damage the universe. While Gatwa’s upcoming Doctor Who adventures will bring in supernatural threats, West portraying the infamous undead Time Lord criminal could be a perfect fit for the series’ new tone.
Doctor Who
season 14 returns on May 10 for international audiences on Disney+ and on BBC iPlayer on May 11 with a two-episode premiere.
Source: Radio Times
Doctor Who
Originally premiered in 1963, Doctor Who is a sci-fi series that follows a powerful being known as a Time Lord, referred to as the Doctor. Using an interdimensional time-traveling ship known as the TARDIS, the Doctor travels time and space with various companions as they solve multiple problems and help avert catastrophe as much as they almost cause it. Though the Doctor is always the same character, they experience regenerations, allowing them to be recast every few seasons as a unique immortal being with new personality traits.
Release Date November 23, 1963
Seasons 26
Writers Mark Gatiss , Toby Whithouse , Neil Cross , Steven Moffat , Chris Chibnall
Franchise Doctor Who