The Doctor Who franchise has thrown a lot of surprises at its fans as of late, what with showrunner Chris Chibnall and star Jodie Whittaker's departures and the announcement that Russell T. Davies is returning to run things. I suppose it was only a matter of time before former Who stars sparked similar conversations as well. Billie Piper, who famously portrayed Rose Tyler, recently signaled she may be ready for a return to Doctor Who, which may come as a shock to anyone who remembers when she said the complete opposite earlier in 2021.
Billie Piper, who also portrayed other Doctor Who characters that looked like Rose, recently revealed she'd be up to return to the BBC franchise. Her comments came from a Cameo video sent to a fan, in which it seemed Piper was responding to a question about whether or not she keeps in touch with former castmates, as well as if she'd return to Doctor Who.
Yeah, I keep in touch with people. Would I ever go back? I think if the circumstances and the story were right. I feel like I've had enough time away from it to really, really want back in on it. I feel like my kids are at a good age and may appreciate that, too, which is often my incentive to do anything.
The actress' latest comments are vastly different from what she said back in January, in which Billie Piper flat out shot down the chance of ever returning. At that time, Piper claimed that while she loved the role, she felt a return would pull her away from her children for too long, and that the fame associated with the series can dominate one's life. Months later, it would appear she's changed her view of things and is up for a return provided the circumstances are right.
The change of heart is excellent news for Doctor Who fans, though one has to wonder what exactly led to it. It's worth noting that Russell T. Davies was the showrunner through almost all her entire time on the sci-fi series, with the exception being Rose's appearance in 2013's "Day of the Doctor." Piper's interest in returning may be tied to Davies returning, though there's no evidence to support any of that, nor that Chris Chibnall had anything to do with why she didn't want to return months ago. The timing is certainly bizarre, of course, given that Piper changed her mind in under the course of a year.
Billie Piper's return to Doctor Who would be incredible, though it would almost be like opening Pandora's Box if she reprised her role as Rose Tyler. Rose is presumably still living out her days in a parallel universe with a human clone of the 10th Doctor, played by non-cloned actor David Tennant. An announcement of Piper's return would almost certainly spark speculation that Tennant could be returning, which would be even more monumental news. Before we get all wrapped up in speculation, though, let's leave it at: there's no confirmation Piper will return to Doctor Who in future seasons, even if she's interested in doing so. But we're all certainly within our rights to wish it to be so.
Doctor Who still has to say goodbye to Jodie Whittaker's Doctor before pushing ahead into the future, and that journey begins in late 2021 with Season 13. Stick with CinemaBlend for more details on the series, including the latest speculation on who will play the next incarnation of The Doctor.
