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My Concession Speech to Peter Capaldi

A lot of people have been asking what my opinion is on the news regarding the casting of the Twelfth Doctor, so here it is.

I am ecstatic at the casting of Peter Capaldi . . . well, as ecstatic as one can be about losing their dream role to someone else. Out of all the names that had been thrown out there he was my top choice (besides myself, of course).

For those that are unaware, shortly after the announcement of Matt Smith’s departure from Doctor Who, Fanboy Comics Contributor Jake Thomas and I set out to film my video audition for the titular role (which can be seen here), and while I cannot be upset at losing out to such a fantastic actor as Peter Capaldi, I am more than slightly perturbed that neither Steven Moffat nor the BBC had the decency to even give me so much as a callback. But, my intention is not to focus on either of these parties or myself . . . it is to congratulate Peter Capaldi. So, back to the issue at hand.

Personally, I have been hoping for the return of an older Doctor (if they were not going to cast me, of course). Since the reboot, they have done a fantastic job at reinterpreting the Doctor for a modern audience. The Doctor is, at heart, a grumpy, old man. The cast and crew have done a great job at bringing a fresh face to the show by maintaining the grumpy old man and injecting a youthful vigor; however, that has now become the standard. Throughout all 50 years, the one constant theme of the show has been that everything changes, and now is the perfect time for another paradigm shift.

As to specifically Peter Capaldi playing the role, he is not only an amazing actor, but also a lifelong fan of the show. If you are one of those uneasy about the fact that he has already appeared in Series 4 of Doctor Who and Torchwood: Children of Earth (the latter of which happens to make up what I think are the best five consecutive hours ever made for television), the show has a long history of repurposing actors and actresses . . . and not just companions. Before being cast as the Sixth Doctor, Colin Baker faced off against the Fifth Doctor as Commander Maxil in “Arc of Infinity.”

One simply needs to watch Capaldi’s (until now) most iconic and defining role to realize that he is perfectly suited to play the Doctor. In both “The Thick of It” and “In the Loop,” he plays Malcolm Tucker. The role is basically a foul-mouthed version of the Doctor. In addition to creating some of the most inventive uses of a certain four-letter word, the character is constantly forced to solve other people’s problems. He does it with an almost Tom Baker-esque flair that seems to say, “Everyone else needs to shut up, because I am smarter than all of you.” The arrogance is completely in tune with the Doctor and will set a great tone for the show . . . minus the profanity.

After my initial excitement over the casting began to die down, I quickly realized that this also meant that he and Neil Gaiman will once again work together. Capaldi was previously in Gaiman’s Neverwhere. Gaiman has recently stated that he will be writing another episode for Doctor Who; however, the American Gods show is his first priority, so we may have to wait until Series 9 for the reunion. American Gods is my favorite novel, so if that show (as well as future novels) is his priority, then Doctor Who can wait. On a side note, with some makeup to age him up a bit, Peter Capaldi would be an amazing Wednesday . . . hint, hint.

Peter Capaldi is officially scheduled to begin his iteration of the Doctor this Christmas; however, there have been rumors circulating that he may have a brief appearance this November in “The Day of the Doctor.”  Either way, I have high hopes for Series 8, and, with any luck, I can always be cast as the Thirteenth Doctor.

Drew Siragusa, Fanbase Press Senior Contributor

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Favorite Movie: Metropolis Favorite Comic Book: The Ultimates Favorite Video Game: The Legend of Zelda

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