Jodie Whittaker's casting as the first actress to play the titular role in "Doctor Who" earned mixed responses from fans, who argued about her ability to do justice to the iconic character. While some were elated that the show finally decided to feature a female Doctor for the first time in over five decades, others were rather disappointed with the BBC's move to have the "Broadchurch" star on board.
'Doctor Who' actors argue over Whittaker's casting
Peter Davison, the fifth incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running series, shared the same sentiment with those who are not in favor of the decision.
Although he acknowledged that Jodie Whittaker is a "terrific actress," the veteran actor, however, questioned if she can deliver for the "Doctor Who" special.
“If I feel any doubts, it’s the loss of a role model for boys who I think Doctor Who is vitally important for," Davison said at Comic-Con 2017.
But contrary to Davison's thoughts on the casting, Colin Baker lauded BBC for appointing Whittaker as the 13th Time Lord in "Doctor Who." He even fired back at critics for threatening to boycott the show.
Change my dears and not a moment too soon - she IS the Doctor whether you like it or not!
— Colin Baker (@SawbonesHex) July 16, 2017
Cannot deny that I am amazed by the 'never watch it again' reaction by some viewers ( I hesitate to call them 'fans'). Very sad
— Colin Baker (@SawbonesHex) July 16, 2017
John Barrowman, on the other hand, thinks this controversy surrounding Whittaker's casting is a good sign for the show.
He even recalled a time when "Doctor Who" appointed David Tennant as the successor of Christopher Eccleston for the titular role in 2005.
"People weren’t happy about it. Seriously. There was a lot of upset, a lot of "This is ridiculous!" because David at that time was younger," he said -- as cited by EW. "We all had to accept everybody loving it and everybody hating it."
He went on and asked the fans to "give it a chance" and wait until they see Whittaker take on the iconic character.
Women in male-dominated productions
Barrowman's statements were supported by Karen Gillan -- who admitted that she was thrilled after she learned about the "Doctor Who" casting.
"I'm so excited because so many people were like, "It can't be a woman," And I'm like, "You're all insane, and of course she can." And now we have one ...
I'm completely delighted," she told ET Online.
The "Guardians of the Galaxy" actress even cited Kate Mulgrew's appointment as the first female captain in the "Star Trek" series and assured "Doctor Who" fans that a female incarnation of the titular character will be just fine.
Whittaker, on the other hand, confessed that she is "beyond excited" for this new project despite getting mixed responses.
