'Doctor Who' Boss Steven Moffat Defends Not Casting A Woman In Lead Role

He's seen two Doctors come and go in his tenure as showrunner.

‘Doctor Who’ boss Steven Moffat has revealed why he never cast a female star to play the Time Lord.

For the past eight years, Steven has served as showrunner on BBC sci-fi series, and was responsible for the appointment of Matt Smith and current Doctor Peter Capaldi, who is stepping down at the end of the current series.

However, he’s insisted his decision to not introduce a woman as Time Lord wasn’t a deliberate one.

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Steven Moffat
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Speaking to BBC Radio 4, he claimed: “I didn’t not cast a woman... I cast a man. I didn’t [cast a woman] because I wanted to cast Matt Smith and I wanted to cast Peter Capaldi.

“I didn’t think it was a terrible idea [to cast a woman], I just thought, ‘I want to cast those people’ – that was it.”

With Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi set to step down at the end of the current series, there’s been plenty of discussion about who will succeed him in the TARDIS, with many fans saying it’s time for a woman to land the lead role in the series.

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Peter Capaldi
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It seems viewers could be in for a long wait, though, with an insider recently revealing that ‘Doctor Who’ bosses were hoping for a young man, in a similar vein to David Tennant, to bag the part.

Current favourite to land the role is Kris Marshall, particularly given his recent departure from ‘Death In Paradise’, which came just weeks after telling HuffPost UK he could imagine himself staying with the show for another 10 years.

Check out all the rumours about who could be joining ‘Doctor Who’ below...

Who Will Replace Peter Capaldi In 'Doctor Who'? All The Rumours So Far...
Kris Marshall(01 of10)
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Honestly speaking, the former 'My Family' actor is probably the horse we'd be putting our money on.

Not only is he the bookies' favourite for the job, various sources have claimed that producers want him to follow on from Peter Capaldi, and he mysteriously stepped down from 'Death In Paradise' around the time the Time Lord vacancy opened up.
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Ben Whishaw(02 of10)
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But, of course, the most obvious solution isn't always the right one.

'James Bond' actor Ben Whishaw (who plays Q in the spy saga) was among the names initially linked with the job, although it's been a long time since we've seen his name linked with taking on the role.

Whether this is because he's ultimately not been chosen or because the BBC is trying to keep things secret remains to be seen.
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Richard Madden(03 of10)
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An insider told The Sun earlier this year: "[Richard] will be high on the list of potential replacements when the formal casting process gets under way.

“He’s very different to Peter, obviously a lot younger, but part of the appeal to regenerating the Doctor every few years is to reinvent the character."
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Frances De La Tour(04 of10)
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When departing Time Lord Peter Capaldi was asked for his choice for the role, he not only said he wanted a woman to get the gig, but also gave Frances as his top pick.

With predecessors like Matt Smith, David Tennant and Christoper Ecclestone, we'd be intrigued to see what the 'Vicious' actress brought to the iconic role of the Doctor.
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David Harewood(05 of10)
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Another name bookies have repeatedly thrown out, David has said he thinks it's time that a BAME or female actor take over the lead role in 'Doctor Who'.

Admitting it was "nice to be in the running", he told the BBC: "It needs to do something different, so I think it's either going to be a black person or a woman. It would just bring a different flavour to it."
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Phoebe Waller-Bridge(06 of10)
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As the discussion about whether it's time for a woman to take charge of 'Doctor Who' continues, Phoebe's is a name that has cropped up repeatedly.

The 'Fleabag' creator spoke about the rumours in May, saying it would be a "great time" for a woman to land the job, adding: "There are so many great actresses out there who I think would kill it."
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Olivia Colman(07 of10)
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Similarly, Phoebe's 'Fleabag' co-star Olivia Colman has also been linked with potentially succeeding Peter Capaldi.

One of Britain's leading TV stars, former Doctor (and her 'Broadchurch' co-star) David Tennant added that she'd be "a magnificent choice" for the part.
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David Bradley(08 of10)
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David previously starred as William Hartnell - the actor behind the First Doctor - in the 2013 biopic, 'An Adventure In Space And Time'.

When quizzed about rumours he'd be taking over the role of the First Doctor again, he teased (via the Birmingham Mail): "Who knows? You didn't hear it from me, that's all I can say."
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Damien Molony(09 of10)
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Damien was named by 'Doctor Who' writer Toby Whithouse as a "terrific" choice to take over the role, and he'd certainly work amid claims producers are hoping to recruit a younger, David Tennant-esque star. (credit:John Lamparski via Getty Images)
Chiwetel Ejiofor(10 of10)
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In the same interview in which Damien's name was mentioned, Bafta-winner Chiwetel was also suggested as an "ideal choice" for the part.

Series writer Toby Whithouse told Digital Spy that he'd be "terrific" as the Thirteenth Doctor.
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