The next "Doctor Who" could feature a female doctor for the first time as actress Tilda Swinton is the bookies' favorite to replace Peter Capaldi, who announced last month that he was stepping down as the time-travelling doctor in the BBC series after the Christmas special at the end of the year.
Swinton, who recently featured in "Doctor Strange" alongside Benedict Cumberbatch, has emerged as a strong favorite to become the new Time Lord by the betting website Ladbrokes. "Whovian punters are becoming increasingly convinced the next Doctor will be female, and fingers are currently pointing towards Swinton," according to Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes.
The Oscar-winning actress' odds currently stand at 7/2, placing her above several other favorites including Kris Marshall (4/1) and Olivia Coleman (5/1). Maxine Peake (8/1) comes in third, followed by Ben Whishaw, Richard Ayoade and Andrew Buchan, all of whom have odds of 10/1 and are very much in the running.
Swinton's credits include films like "The Beach," The Grand Budapest Hotel" and "Michael Clayton," which earned her an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.If the actress is, in fact, signed on to play the 13th Doctor, she will become the first female to play the iconic character.
The show's executive producer Steven Moffat has previously talked about the possibility of a female Doctor, as pointed out by The Mirror. "I think the next time might be a female Doctor. I don't see why not," said Moffat, who also announced his departure from the show at the end of the year, with "Broadchurch" creator Chris Chibnall confirmed to replace him as showrunner.
The popular sci-fi series revolves around a Time Lord, known as "The Doctor," who travels through space and time using the Tardis, which looks like a 1960s police telephone box. "Doctor Who" series 10 premieres in April 2017. Check out the teaser of the upcoming series below:
