Doctor Who 2024 Announces 13 Main Actors for New Season

By Sam Hargrave Posted:
Doctor Who 2024 main actors, Disney Plus logo

The main actors set to lead the way in Doctor Who's 2024 season on Disney+ and BBC iPlayer were confirmed by a new press release.

Doctor Who has a long-standing 60-year tradition of reinventing itself every few years, placing a new actor in the role of the Doctor and finding new companions to tag along with him (or her) for adventures across time and space.

Doctor Who's Main 2024 Cast Members Revealed

Disney, in conjunction with the BBC, recently released a new press release diving into the debut date details for Doctor Who's 2024 season, confirming the show's return with a two-episode premiere on Saturday, March 10.

The eight-episode season will release weekly on BBC iPlayer in the UK & Ireland along with Disney+ in the rest of the world thanks to a new licensing deal.

Interestingly, the press release also included a cast list for the new season, confirming the 13 main actors set to lead the way in the upcoming episodes:

Ncuti Gatwa - The 15th Doctor

Ncuti Gatwa - The 15th Doctor
BBC

After David Tennant brought his short-lived Doctor Who return to a close with "The Giggle," Sex Education star Ncuti Gatwa is firmly at the helm of the TARDIS as the 15th Doctor after his first outing in Christmas 2023's "The Church on Ruby Road."

Prior to taking control of the TARDIS, Gatwa was best known for his roles in Netflix's Sex Education, Apple TV+'s Masters of the Air, and Barbie.

Millie Gibson - Ruby Sunday

Millie Gibson - Ruby Sunday
BBC

As the Doctor's newest companion, Mille Gibson will co-lead Doctor Who into its 2024 season and its first outing on Disney+ as Ruby Sunday. The British girl is set to travel time and space with the Doctor as they get into eight episodes of chaos.

Gibson was placed at the center of Doctor Who drama in January as an article from Variety confirmed reports that she will depart the series after just one season as the chief companion to be replaced by Andor's Varada Sethu.

The young British actress previously starred on Coronation Street as Kelly Neelan.

Aneurin Barnard - Roger ap Gwilliam

Aneurin Barnard - Roger ap Gwilliam
BBC

Aneurin Barnard will make his Doctor Who debut this season as Roger ap Gwilliam, a 21st-century British politican from the Albion party.

But as this is Doctor Who, Gwilliam has been theorized to be hiding a sinister twist and ultimately prove to be one of the antagonists of the upcoming episodes.

The Welsh actors has past credits in Dunkirk, Peaky Blinders, and 1899.

Anita Dobson - Mrs. Flood

Anita Dobson - Mrs. Flood
BBC

Anita Dobson had a minor and cryptic role in "The Church on Ruby Road" as Mrs. Flood, the neighbor to Ruby Sunday and her family in Manchester, England.

The 2023 festival special teased an intriguing mystery involving Mrs. Flood in the new season after she winked to the camera and said, "Never see a TARDIS before," hinting at some past knowledge of the alien time ship.

Dobson played Angie Watts in Eastenders and has also appeared in Dodger, Call the Midwife, Doctors, and The Worst Witch.

Yasmin Finney - Rose Noble

Yasmin Finney - Rose Noble
BBC

Alongside Catherine Tate's return as Donna Noble for last year's three 60th anniversary specials with David Tennant's 14th Doctor, fans were introduced to her transgender daughter Rose, played by Yasmin Finney.

The actress has been confirmed to reprise their role as Rose Noble in the 2024 season, although her on-screen mother currently looks unlikely to feature again.

Fans will be well aware the post-bigeneration 14th Doctor is now settled down on Earth with Donna and the rest of the Noble family. As such, Rose's return will open the doors to an update on Tennant's retired Doctor.

Finney is best known for playing Elle Argent on Heartstopper.

Michelle Greenidge - Carla Sunday

Michelle Greenidge - Carla Sunday
BBC

Michelle Greenidge will reprise her role as Carla Sunday from "The Church on Ruby Road" for the upcoming season. She was introduced as the caring foster mother to Ruby Sunday who has taken in many children over the years, of which the Doctor's new companion is the only one to have stuck around.

As the TARDIS team takes occasional trips back to present-day Britain in the new season, Carla will likely play a recurring role in several episodes as Ruby pops in to visit her family in Manchester, England.

Greenidge has been credited in It's a Sin, After Life, Granchester, and more.

Jonathan Groff

Jonathan Groff, Doctor Who
BBC

Jonathan Groff is set to play a key and mysterious character in a Regency-era episode of Doctor Who's 2024 season. The trailer revealed a shot of him dancing with the Doctor along with what appeared to be a confrontation between the two, leaving many confused about where his allegiances will lie.

Groff voiced Kristoff in Frozen and played King George in Hamilton on Disney+, with other roles in Knock at the Cabin and The Matrix Resurrections. 

Bonnie Langford - Mel Bush

Bonnie Langford - Mel Bush
BBC

U.N.I.T. boss Kate Stewart has now scooped up several of the Doctor's old allies to join the alien-hunting group, one of which was the classic 6th Doctor companion Mel Bush, played by Bonnie Langford.

Many years after leaving the TARDIS behind in 1987, Langford reprised her Doctor Who role for "The Giggle" last year where she was working with U.N.I.T. and found herself aiding the Doctor in tackling Neil Patrick Harris' Toymaker.

Langford has acted before in Just William, Eastenders, and more.

Genesis Lynea

Genesis Lynea
BBC

After working with Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davis on ITV series You and Me, actress Genesis Lynea will join the British sci-fi drama in the 2024 season in a guest role that currently remains under wraps.

Lynea has appeared in Silent Witness, You and Me, Death in Paradise, Shadow and Bone, A Discovery of Witches, and more.

Jemma Redgrave - Kate Stewart

Jemma Redgrave - Kate Stewart
BBC

12 years and four Doctors after her series debut, Kate Stewart will return as the U.N.I.T. boss and daughter of the famous Brigadier in 2024, promising more adventures to come with the alien-hunting organization.

A report from Deadline last March claimed U.N.I.T. is set to be the focus of an upcoming Doctor Who spin-off with Redgrave taking a leading role. Perhaps her role in the 2024 season may lay the groundwork for her own sci-fi show.

Redgrave has appeared in nine episodes of Doctor Who before now and has other credits in Holby City, The Beekeeper, and Granchester.

Lenny Rush - Morris

Lenny Rush - Morris
BBC

14-year-old dwarf actor Lenny Rush will play Morris, a new character and seemingly an ally to the Doctor. Details are currently sparse on his newcomer.

Showrunner Russell T. Davis teased to the official Doctor Who site how Rush "joins the TARDIS team just in time for the Doctor’s greatest nightmare," perhaps hinting at a role spanning multiple episodes.

BAFTA winner Rush won the award for "Male Performance in a Comedy Programme" for his role in Am I Being Unreasonable? Among his other acting credits are Dodger, Enola Holmes 2, and A Christmas Carol.

Indira Varma - The Duchess 

Indira Varma - The Duchess
BBC

Doctor Who fans have been warned to "beware the Duchess" with reference to Indira Varma's curious character who will appear in an episode taking place in Regency era England - around the late 1700s and early 1800s.

Varma has previously appeared in Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi and even had a role in the Whoniverse before as Suzie Costello in the Doctor Who spin-off Torchwood.

Angela Wynter - Cherry Sunday

Angela Wynter - Cherry Sunday
BBC

The mother to Carla and essentially Ruby's foster grandmother, Cherry Sunday debuted in "The Church on Ruby Road" and will appear in the new season.

Much like her daughter, the Jamican grandmother figure will likely play a recurring role this season as Ruby checks in with her family on Earth.

Wynter has been credited before in Eastenders as Yolande Trueman with other roles in Doctors, This England, and more.

BONUS.) Jinkx Monsoon

Jinkx Monsoon, Doctor Who
BBC

The BBC's press release included an additional star who was absent from that offered by Disney with RuPaul's Drag Race star Jinkx Monsoon. The actress has previously been confirmed to play "the Doctor's most powerful enemy yet," but the idenity of their character is unclear.

Many have speculated Monsoon's villain will be connected to the one of the mysterious threats teased in the 60th Anniversary specials such Beep the Meep's boss, the Toymaker's legions, or the One Who Waits.

Monsoon is best known for winning Season 5 of RuPaul's Drag Race.


With regard to the announced guest stars, the BBC press release promised there are "more to be announced soon," meaning the cast of Doctor Who's eight-episode 2024 season isn't done growing yet.

Doctor Who will return with a two-episode premiere for its new season on May 10 on BBC iPlayer in the UK & Ireland and Disney+ in the rest of the world.

Read more about Doctor Who:

Doctor Who 2024 Season Release, Cast & Everything We Know

Disney Plus Adds Special New Collection for Doctor Who

Christopher Eccleston Brutally Criticizes His Doctor Who Showrunner Russell T. Davies for 'Mess' of a Show

- In This Article: Doctor Who (Series 14)
Release Date
May 10, 2024
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- About The Author: Sam Hargrave
Sam Hargrave is the Associate Editor at The Direct. He joined the team as a gaming writer in 2020 before later expanding into writing for all areas of The Direct and taking on further responsibilities such as editorial tasks and image creation.