The announcement Jonathan Groff's casting in upcoming episodes of Doctor Who was already plenty to get people's attention ahead of the series' return this fall, but the latest rumor might encourage many lapsed fans to check out the new run with their Disney+ subscription. There are a number of fans who think that Groff is coming into the Whoniverse to play the new Captain Jack, and returning showrunner Russell T. Davies isn't doing a lot to squash the speculation.
What seemingly started as an acknowledgment that Jonathan Groff had the same basic hair and eyes as John Barrowman's Captain Jack Harkness has now spun into a theory that Groff is coming to Doctor Who to play a younger version of the time agent once known as "The Face Of Boe." At first, it just seemed like a fan wish that wasn't grounded in any actual information. Then, someone posted that Russell T. Davies liked their comment asking if Groff was the new Captain Jack, and suddenly, it's a thing (via Twitter):
NOW HANG ON pic.twitter.com/Fu1Alpp00SMay 5, 2023
Doctor Who's official announcement about Jonathan Groff's casting didn't refer to him as anything other than a "mysterious and exciting guest role." If Russell T. Davies, or anyone else, wanted to directly announce he'd be playing Captain Jack Harkness, wouldn't they just say so? If that's the case, what's the point in all of the secrecy if he's just going to like a comment and get speculation rolling?
One possibility is that Russell T. Davies just likes a lot of comments without looking at them and doesn't even know what he's caused. I could also see a possibility that he's deliberately stirring chaos by liking comments like that, hoping to keep fans on their toes and wondering what is planned for the future of Doctor Who. Hey, it doesn't hurt to mix the pot between all the stylish looks of Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor.
Jonathan Groff debuting as Captain Jack would be a way to reintroduce the character, who hasn't been seen since John Barrowman's controversy linked to past inappropriate behavior on the Doctor Who set. Barrowman had a history of exposing himself on set, and while he apologized and addressed those allegations years ago, the franchise hasn't welcomed him back since the controversy resurfaced.
And while Doctor Who never officially admonished John Barrowman, there were steps taken to remove Barrowman and Captain Jack from a number of Doctor Who projects. This included canceling a Torchwood audiobook Barrowman was featured in, as well as a book that was supposed to serve as a tie-in to a Season 13 episode. Torchwood star Gareth David-Lloyd defended Barrowman in light of the resurfaced allegations, but it didn't do much in putting the actor back in the good graces of the franchise.
As of writing, we have no idea what role Jonathan Groff will play when he joins Doctor Who. With that said, he's just one reason for fans to get excited about this new era, which will reportedly have a bigger budget and more consistent seasons year-to-year. If the show can pull more guest stars like Groff, it should breathe new life into the franchise, and even bring in some fresh fans.
Doctor Who will make its debut on Disney+ in November for the 60th-anniversary specials. After that, we'll get Ncuti Gatwa's official first episode as The Doctor in a holiday special, so get hype for the back half of 2023!
