ARCHIE PANJABI JOINS CAST AS VILLAIN FOR SERIES 15
Actress Archie Panjabi will star in the next series of Doctor Who, coming to BBC and Disney+ in 2025, as a new villain. The news was first reported by Deadline, with the BBC and Disney+ declining to comment on the reports.
Meanwhile, like many Doctors who have come before him, one is not enough for the Fifteenth Doctor and in season two, he will have two companions by his side as Varada Sethu steps aboard the TARDIS.
Varada joins the Whoniverse from a galaxy far, far away after starring in the Disney+ Star Wars series ‘Andor’. Now she straps in for another journey through time and space alongside Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as Ruby Sunday. Sethu’s compantion will be called ‘Belinda Chandra’.
Sethu says:
“I feel like the luckiest person in the world. It is such an honour to be a part of the Whoniverse, and I’m so grateful to the whole Doctor Who family – because that is what they are – for welcoming me with open arms and making me feel so at home. I couldn’t ask for a better team than Ncuti and Millie to be on this adventure with, this is SO much fun!”
Showrunner, executive producer and writer Russell T Davies says:
“I first worked with Varada on a BBC production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and it’s a joy to welcome her on board the TARDIS. Right now in the studio, shooting for 2025, we’ve got Ncuti, Millie and Varada fighting side by side – we need all three, because the stakes are higher than ever!”
Sethu is best known for her standout role as Cinta Kaz in the Disney+ Original series “Andor.” Her additional credits include “Jurassic World Dominion,” “Annika” and “Strike Back.”
Currently in post-production, the 15th series of Doctor Who is set to debut in 2025 on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK and Disney+ in the U.S. and around the world (where available).