A new era of Doctor Who is underway, and while Matt Smith has kept up on these latest episodes and even shared kind words with new star Ncuti Gatwa, we don't know if he'll ever return. While that's still a big question mark, we recently learned that there was almost a time when we didn't have Smith in the franchise at all, as he talked about the doubts and realization he had about joining the iconic BBC franchise.
Smith spoke to BBC Politics, and as is often the case with every Doctor Who actor, no matter the reason they're being interviewed or what they're trying to promote, he was asked about the series and playing the Doctor. The interviewer mentioned hearing that he had doubts about taking the role, which the actor confirmed, and he talked about what he learned after joining the series:
I was young and sort of foolish. I'm still foolish I'm just old now. I thought, well, would I just always be Doctor Who? And then I realized always being Doctor Who is amazing. It's a great thing it's still one of the pleasures of my life. I'm so proud of that show.
It helps, of course, that Matt Smith has another major role to hang his hat on on the 2024 TV schedule as part of the House of the Dragon cast. It's a role that's wildly different from what the actor was doing before he left Doctor Who, but one I daresay he wouldn't have gotten otherwise without rising to prominence with The BBC series.
Playing The Doctor, after all, is a popular gig. Matt Smith shared some of the cooler perks of playing the role, and how the people who most recognized him as the Time Lord have grown up over the years:
And it's just the most amazing part. Suddenly you're Doctor Who, so children are like, 'What? No way! You're Doctor Who!'...interestingly now they're eighteen and now, 'Ah when I was young, you were really cool.' I'm not now.
When asked whether he'd ever return to Doctor Who, Matt Smith used the words "Never say never." It's not a guarantee, but it's refreshing to hear following David Tennant's brutally honest response about his Fourteenth Doctor returning.
Ironically enough, David Tennant played a key role in introducing a relatively easy way for Matt Smith to return as The Doctor, should the stars ever align. Russell T. Davies made the major reveal that when the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Doctors bi-generated, so did every other Doctor. If Smith returns, he can play the character at his older age without needing too much makeup and just chalk it up to the Eleventh Doctor being older now.
Stream any modern Doctor Who episode from Matt Smith's time in the role, and you'll see why so many want him back in the mix. His ability to jump between happy-go-lucky and sad was one of the best parts of his run, and I don't think any Doctor before or since can execute it in the way he can. I'm keeping my fingers crossed we'll see him again in a future episode, especially because a shared episode with Gatwa would be so fun.
Doctor Who's new season will begin streaming for those with a Disney+ subscription in May 2024. The future for the franchise is looking brighter with every new announcement, so I do hope past stars like Matt Smith can find an opportunity to join in on the fun at some point.
