Steven Moffat, head writer of Doctor Who, has hinted at a possible return for Matt Smith, the eleventh incarnation of The Doctor, to the TARDIS.
The prospect would mark the first time the sci-fi ‘time lord’ would regenerate into a previous incarnation of himself, instead of transforming into new face.
The Mirror has reported that Moffat admitted that Smith’s decision to leave was a “tough decision” and was disappointed that he “couldn’t get him to stay”, but remains hopeful for Smith’s return, saying Smith “is quite open about how much he misses it, and how much he wishes he hadn’t left.”
Indeed, last year Smith remarked that “they will ask me back one day, won’t they?” In addition, he quipped that he would “really want to” play the Doctor again if he had the chance, when asked by a fan in April.
Smith returned to Doctor Who post-regeneration in the season eight opener, Deep Breath, the first episode of Peter Capaldi’s reign as the sci-fi hero, in a surprise cameo, reassuring TARDIS companion Clara (Jenna Coleman) to stay with the ‘new’ Doctor.
Although Smith’s return would mark the first time The Doctor would be regenerating into a former incarnation, several of The Doctor’s faces have reappeared in episodes after their departure. David Tennant, the Tenth Doctor, returned for the 50th anniversary of the BBC show for the feature length episode ‘The Day of the Doctor’, Paul McGann, the Eighth Doctor, returned for the special mini-episode ‘The Night of the Doctor’, and Peter Davidson also re-appeared as the Fifth Doctor in a Children In Need special opposite Tennant. Tom Baker also appeared in ‘The Day of the Doctor’, however not reprising his role as the Fourth Doctor, but as the mysterious Curator.
Current Doctor, Capaldi, has been tipped to be leaving the TARDIS after the next season, which is currently being filmed for a 2017 release. Who knows what will happen? Watch Smith’s emotional goodbye to the show below:
