Hayley Atwell wants to play the Doctor on Doctor Who
Jay Z once rapped, “I’m not a businessman; I’m a business, man!” Now none other than Agent Carter star Hayley Atwell is echoing that aim-high attitude and letting that world know she’d like to appear on Doctor Who — if she gets to play the Doctor, that is.
Atwell, the British actress best known for playing an Atomic Age spy in Marvel’s Agent Carter TV series and the Captain America movies, was recently asked by a fan in a Twitter Q&A if she’d like to be on Doctor Who, the long-running BBC show about a time-and-space-hopping alien.
“I’d like to BE Doctor Who,” Atwell replied, setting Who fans’ hearts aflutter.
Although the dozen past and current versions of the show’s title character have been portrayed by white men — a fact criticized by some viewers who’d prefer more Doctor diversity — there’s no narrative reason the character couldn’t come back from one of his frequent reincarnations as a woman. Indeed, the Doctor’s own nemesis the Master recently reappeared in a new female form.
While Doctor Who showrunner Steven Moffat has been ambivalent about the prospect of a female Doctor, cast member Jenna Coleman said at Comic-Con, “I’m sure it will happen at some point. I think it’s just about casting the right actor.”