When it rains it pours, however in terms of Doctor Who, this is a very good thing. First, we got an announcement for Gatwa’s casting as the fourteenth Doctor just over a week ago, which was already a huge win. Then just past Sunday fans were hit with an announcement of Tennant and Tate’s return to the series, something I’ve been wishing for since the rumors began back in January. Now those behind the time-traveling show are throwing another gigantic curveball with a new casting announcement – the addition of Yasmin Finney in a surprising new role. Jump on board the TARDIS as we explore the latest news from Doctor Who.
A Heartstopper Joins Doctor Who
Another casting announcement came in hot, straight from the official Doctor Who Twitter account. Yasmin Finney has joined the cast of Doctor Who in 2023 under Russell T. Davies’ direction. Check out the tweet below!
Doctor Who gains its own heartstopper as Yasmin Finney joins the cast ?➕?⁰
Read more here ➡️ https://t.co/3O9LudD4uc pic.twitter.com/KS9z2SsWd4
— Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) May 16, 2022
Finney seems like a great choice to welcome to the TARDIS, as her performance in Netflix’s Heartstoppers has been praised by many. She is relatively new to the acting scene, with the only credit attached to her name being the aforementioned Heartstoppers. Something about her performance in that series or in her audition must have blown RTD away. Speaking of Davies, his statement about her casting may be the most interesting tidbit about Finney’s casting.
“Life on Doctor Who gets brighter and wilder, how can there be another Rose? You’ll find out in 2023, but it’s an absolute joy to welcome Yasmin to the Doctor Who set. We all fell in love with her in Heartstopper, one of those shows which changes the world – and now Yasmin can change the Whoniverse!”
Wait….Did you catch that? Hmmm. Mix in what an excited Finney said in her first official statement about her casting from the BBC.
“If anyone would have told 8-year-old Yasmin that one day she’d be part of this iconic show, I would have never in a million years believed them. This show has a place in so many people’s hearts, so to be seen as a trans actress by the legend himself Russell, has not only made my year, it’s made my life. I cannot wait to begin this journey and for you all to see how Rose blossoms. Get Ready.”
Rose? As in Rose Tyler previously played by Billie Piper? Or is this a different Rose? What is going on in the Whoniverse!?!
A Rosie Return to Doctor Who
So what is going on in Doctor Who’s upcoming 60th-anniversary celebrations? First, we have a new Doctor, then a return of an old Doctor and Companion, and now we have another Rose?
A simple explanation, of course, is that Yasmin Finney is playing a different Rose. There are a ton of people named Rose in the world. It could be simply coincidental that we now have two characters with the same name, right? Doctor Who loves to put in references and callbacks to its past, such as companion Bill Potts (Pearl Mackie) in series 10, named in reference to Billie Piper.
However, in NuWho specifically, we haven’t had any main characters that had the same name. So if this isn’t some sort of coincidence or call back, and this new character is Rose Tyler, what does a new casting for Rose mean? My initial thought is that we are beginning to see the repercussions of the Flux. The crisis level threat tore through the universe, destabilizing time itself, and at the end of the six-part event, there was little resolution. The Doctor may have saved the Universe, but it’s hard to imagine there not being some problems resulting from an event of this stature.
RUMOR: Fan Favorite Catherine Tate May Return to ‘Doctor Who’
With the destabilizing of time itself, is it possible that other universes are starting to leak over into the main Whoniverse? Is Doctor Who headed into its own multiversal story? It seems possible! It would easily explain the return of Donna, without the worry of killing her off for remembering her adventures with Tennant’s Doctor.
A multiversal story would also allow for multiple versions of the same character to exist and show up in this 60th-anniversary celebration. I’m still holding out for a Billie Piper return as well. It wouldn’t feel right without her. However, what are your thoughts on Yasmin Finney’s casting as Rose in Doctor Who? What do you think is going on? Let us know on Twitter!
Source: BBC: Doctor Who
