Doctor Who Controversy: Is A Female Doctor A Good Idea?
Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat recently hinted that the title role may eventually be played by a woman, and the news caused a divisive rift among Whovians all over the world. Wales Online reports that the famed writer discussed the potential future of the show at The Sky Women In Television And Film Awards. It was during the event that he acknowledged that there were no rules saying a woman couldn’t play the Doctor.
“It’s actually only since I took over the show that we have said it’s actually possible within the logic of the show.”
Currently, the show stars Peter Capaldi as the 12th incarnation of the iconic science fiction character. All 11 incarnations prior to him were male, but the show has always pushed the envelope when it comes to gender roles and marriage equality, so it’s not at all out of the question. Especially since the current series has cast a woman to play The Master — a character who has always been male as well. Yet fans appear to be more accepting of a female Master than a female Doctor. Why is that?
Polygon reports that Peter Capaldi believes a female Doctor may happen sooner than later. He even addressed his optimism that the next incarnation could very well be a woman.
“There easily could be a female Doctor. I think the next time might be a female Doctor. I don’t see why not. I think it’s good to do that.”
Fans of the show, on the other hand, aren’t as harmonious in their opinions about this potential gender change. The hashtag #femaledoctorwho on Twitter shows some of the mixed comments being shared about the idea of a female taking over the title role. Many fans are excited about the new possibilities that this idea offers.
@LinkyGray The smart money is on Tilda Swinton as the next Doctor Who. #femaledoctorwho #wishlist
— Gary Erskine (@garyerskine) March 30, 2013
Other fans, on the other hand, feel that the Doctor has always been a male and he should simply stay that way. The reasons for this opinion appear to vary across the board among fans, which consists of both male and female viewers.
No, it’s not about time for a #FemaleDoctorWho, it’s time to create something new & awesome that the fan base isn’t constantly frustrated in
— Gary Oransky (@Gary_O) June 3, 2014
No matter what side of the argument you fall on, Doctor Who continues to challenge social constructs as both a time-tested science fiction masterpiece, and a positive program for young people. Do you think the next regeneration of the title role should be female?
[Photo credit: The Cutprice Guignol/Michelle Gomez and Peter Capaldi]
