The timey-wimey-wibbly-wobbly world of “Doctor Who” is expanding with a new spinoff, announced during the “Into the Whoniverse” panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Friday.
Russell Tovey (“Feud,” “American Horror Story: NYC”) and Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“Surface,” “Loki”) will lead the cast of the five-part series “The War Between the Land and the Sea.” They’ll be joined by returning “Doctor Who” cast members Jemma Redgrave as Kate Lethbridge-Stewart and Alexander Devrient as Colonel Ibrahim.
The series picks up as a fearsome and ancient species emerges from the ocean, dramatically revealing themselves to humanity, an international crisis is triggered. With the entire population at risk, UNIT steps into action as the land and sea wage war.
“The War Between the Land and the Sea” was created by “Doctor Who” showrunner and executive producer Russell T Davies, who wrote the spinoff with Pete McTighe (“A Discovery of Witches,” “The Pact,” “Doctor Who”). The series features the triumphant return of the Sea Devils, classic “Doctor Who” villains first seen in 1972.
“I’m so lucky to work with such a magnificent cast,” Davies said in a statement. “And this is a huge, muscular, thrilling drama which will shake The Whoniverse to its foundations. When the Doctor’s not in town, the whole of humanity is in trouble.“
This isn’t Tovey’s first brush with the Whoniverse, as he previously appeared in “Doctor Who” as Alonso Frame over a decade ago. Mbatha-Raw is also no stranger to the TARDIS, appearing as Martha Jones’ sister Tish in four episodes. Davies confirmed that they will play new roles in the spinoff.
Filming for the spinoff series, which is produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for Disney Branded Television and BBC, begins next month. In addition to Davies, executive producers include Phil Collinson, Joel Collins, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter.
The series will be directed by Dylan Holmes-Williams, director of two “Doctor Who” season one episodes, “73 Yards” and “Dot and Bubble.” It will air exclusively on Disney+ where available and BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the U.K.
Elsewhere in the lively Hall H panel, “Doctor Who” stars Ncuti Gatwa and Millie Gibson were joined by showrunner and writer Davies for a discussion moderated by Josh Horowitz.
“The pressure fuels you, because it’s a show that sits in so many people’s hearts and souls,” Gatwa told the audience of taking on the iconic role. “It’s an absolute honor to play a character that’s been going for 60 years.”
“Bridgerton” star Nicola Coughlan delivered a special video message to the crowd, revealing that she’ll star in this year’s “Doctor Who” Christmas special as Joy, “a determined woman whose life is changed forever when she meets the Doctor.” She then teed up an exclusive clip from the special.
“Barbie and Ken, back together again,” Gatwa quipped about Coughlan following the big reveal. “She brought so much joy to set. She’s an absolute star.”
Gatwa and Gibson are both set to return next season, and will welcome Varada Sethu to the cast as another companion to the Doctor. During the panel, Gibson also announced that “The Little Mermaid” star Jonah Hauer-King will join the cast of the new season as part of Ruby’s journey.
The most recent season of “Doctor Who” ushered in a new era with Gatwa as the 15th Doctor. He became the first openly queer Black actor to take on the iconic role.
“Do you know what? It makes perfect sense to me,” told Variety of his casting. “I feel like anyone that has a problem with someone who’s not a straight white man playing this character, you’re not really, truly a fan of the show. You’ve not been watching! Because the show is about regeneration, and the Doctor is an alien — why would they only choose to be this sort of person?”
Variety’s Aramide Tinubu praised the season in her review, calling out Gatwa’s performance as a highlight: “It’s Gatwa’s star turn that elevates the season. With his megawatt smile and colorful costumes, he dives into the role, delivering a refreshing dynamism that makes the season a uniquely mesmerizing watch.”
“Doctor Who” also had a large presence on the convention’s show floor, inviting fans into the TARDIS for a themed photo-op. On Saturday, Davies will join “Star Trek” showrunner Alex Kurtzman on an International Friendship Day panel for a creator-to-creator conversation about storytelling across time and space.