At this point, I think it’s safe to say that Ncuti Gatwa ‘s star is rising. The talented actor became a hit with audiences through his work on Netflix’s Sex Education, which may have landed him his role in the star-studded Barbie movie. While filming the production, Gatwa was also tapped to become the new titular character on Doctor Who. And apparently, not even co-stars like Simu Liu know about his casting.) Now that they’re in the know, they’re showing their support, and Ryan Gosling did so by rocking a bootleg shirt showing his co-star as The Doctor. As one might expect, Gatwa and his showrunner on the sci-fi hit provided some perfect responses.
Ncuti Gatwa first sent fans into a frenzy as he shared a photo of Ryan Gosling wearing the bootleg shirt on his Instagram stories. In addition to the photo, Gatwa shared an A+ caption “Dolls supporting Doctors,” while also showing love to Gosling. Check out the photo below, which sees Gosling showcasing the shirt in what might be the best advertisement for illegal merchandise I’ve ever seen:
A member of the paparazzi also took a photo of Ryan Gosling decked out in the shirt that featured Ncuti Gatwa as The Doctor, and it caught the attention of Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies. Davies shared the photo in question on his Instagram and in the caption that followed, he stated that the shirt wasn’t legit, before jokingly revealing that The BBC’s legal team has been notified:
This is, genuinely, Ryan Gosling wearing a t-shirt of Ncuti Gatwa as Doctor Who. We’re suing him, of course. Illegal merch #rulesarerules
It’s doubtful that Ryan Gosling will actually see a penalty of any kind for his wardrobe choice, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that shirt magically disappears from the internet now that one of Hollywood’s biggest actors just flashed it before fans’ eyes. Of course, none of this would be a problem if Doctor Who already had official merchandise for Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor. However, with the series having yet to say goodbye to Jodie Whittaker’s iteration of the character, it’s understandable that such items have not been made available yet.
Ryan Gosling isn’t the only one excited about the British star’s upcoming stint as The Doctor, as there are plenty of fans who are eager to see what the actor brings to the table. Plus, the hype only seems to increase as the public learns new details on the upcoming 60th anniversary, which is currently filming.
Nevertheless, we’re still waiting to learn when and where Ncuti Gatwa will make his debut. Traditional logic would dictate that Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor will regenerate into Gatwa’s, but the actor hasn’t popped up in any official photos from the set. It’s certainly an odd situation that raises big questions, especially considering the fan-reported sightings of David Tennant, Catherine Tate, and even Neil Patrick Harris’ mysterious villain. Only time will tell how Ncuti’s character factors in but, in the meantime, I wouldn’t mind seeing more Who tributes from the Barbie cast.
Doctor Who is currently on hiatus but will return in the fall, which is when it’ll air Jodie Whittaker’s farewell episode as The Doctor. HBO Max Subscribers can binge the series in the meantime and revisit some of their favorite episodes of the series.