'Doctor Who' Will Return in April for Ncuti Gatwa's Second Season

Get ready to step back into the TARDIS this Spring. Disney+ and the BBC have finally (and officially) confirmed that sci-fi series Doctor Who will roar back onto our screens in April for Ncuti Gatwa's second season as the Fifteenth Doctor. (Depending on which number system you ascribe to, this is Season 15 of the modern reboot or Season 41 of the franchise overall.) 

The big news, of course, is that the Doctor is getting a new companion this season, in the form of Varada Sethu (Annika) as Belinda Chandra. Last season saw Fifteen say goodbye to his inaugural bestie, as Ruby Sunday left the TARDIS to focus on building a relationship with her birth mother. But, as we all know, the Doctor can't (and, really, shouldn't) be on his own for too long. Enter Belinda, who already will look familiar to fans. Technically, Sethu already debuted on the series with Gatwa, playing Anglican soldier Mundy Flynn in the Steven Moffat-penned episode "Boom!" last season. But (allegedly) this is an entirely different character. 

(Allegedly.)

But if the Season 2 teaser trailer is anything to go by, the initial relationship between the Doctor and Belinda may be something of a challenging one. It seems like she's taking a page from Tegan Jovanka's book, insisting Fifteen take her home immediately. However, that request is more difficult to fulfill than it initially appears, and it certainly seems as though much of this season will revolve around trying to return this unexpected companion to Earth. (Call me crazy, but I'm going to bet she learns to love the journey along the way.)

The BBC and Disney+ have also confirmed that Emmy Award winner Alan Cumming (The Traitors) has joined the season's starry guest cast for this run of episodes, playing "Mr. Ring-a-Ding" in the second episode. He's a happy, funny, sing-along cartoon character who lives in Sunny Town with his friend Sunshine Sally. Set in 1952, after years of repeats in cinemas across the land, the adventure will feature Mr. Ring-a-Ding suddenly looking beyond the screen and seeing the real world outside— and the consequences are terrifying.

“Only Alan Cumming could give a runaway cartoon so much wit, malice, danger, and fun," showrunner Russell T. Davies said in a statement. "He makes the whole universe of Doctor Who wilder and madder than ever, and it’s an absolute honor to welcome him on board the TARDIS.”

The role marks Cumming's return to the Whoniverse after his previous turn as King James I in the Season 11 episode “The Witchfinders" opposite Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker.

Here's the synopsis for Gatwa's second outing. 

The Doctor meets Belinda Chandra and begins an epic quest to get her back to Earth. But a mysterious force is stopping their return and the time-traveling TARDIS team must face great dangers, bigger enemies and wider terrors than ever before.

Alongside Gatwa and Sethu, Millie Gibson is set to return as companion Ruby Sunday. It's unclear how many episodes she'll appear in or what Ruby's role will involve, given that Sethu appears to be the primary co-lead this time around. The season's teaser trailer and images show her in what appears to be UNIT headquarters, which means she may now be working for the confirmed-to-be-returning Kate Lethbridge Stewart (Jemma Redgrave). 

Previously announced guest cast includes Rose Ayling-Ellis (Ludwig), Christopher Chung (Slow Horses), Anita Dobson (The Long Call), Michelle Greenidge (Queenie), Jonah Hauer-King (World on Fire), Ruth Madeley (Joy), and Susan Twist (In the Flesh).

Davies serves as showrunner and is one of Season 2's writers, alongside Uno Dawson, Inua Ellams, Pete McTighe, and Sharma Angel-Walfall. Executive producers include Davies, Joel Collins, Phil Collinson, Julie Gardner, and Jane Tranter. The series is produced by Bad Wolf, with BBC Studios for Disney Branded Television and BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

Doctor Who Season 2 premieres Saturday, April 12, 2025 at 3 a.m. ET on Disney+ and 8 a.m. BT on the BBC iPlayer in the U.K. New episodes will follow weekly through the end of May.