With Doctor Who not only coming to Disney+ outside the UK but also having Disney backing it, fans are excited for really big things. But one of the biggest things in Doctor Who won’t be making a return: the Master.
That’s according to Russell T Davies who once again emphasized that the new series is looking forward, not back, during a press conference. Throughout the conference, Davies responded to questions about Doctor Who‘s past by saying that the show was looking to the future, in some ways completely ripping up the rules. Part of that looking into the future is a slew of new villains that do not include The Master, the Doctor’s archnemesis.
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Will The Master Return in Doctor Who’s Disney+ Relaunch?
When asked directly if The Master would return Davies replied, “The Master. Nope. We’ve got lots of new villains coming up so there’s no room for that lovely old character. Maybe one day, but no plans yet.”
Of course, Doctor Who has quite a variety of classic villains that could pop up in this new series, from Daleks to Cybermen to Weeping Angles, but fans were especially keen on The Master returning when it was discovered that Jinkx Monsoon would be playing a character called Maestro, which means Master in Italian. Davies could be lying but we can confirm, without giving too much away, that Maestro is not a new regeneration of The Master.
Will we never see the Master again in Doctor Who? Highly unlikely. Even Davies leaves the door wide open for his eventual return in the quote above. Fans will just have to wait past this season.
Doctor Who streams Friday, May 10 at 7:00 p.m. ET on Disney+, where available, and simultaneously on May 11 at midnight on BBC iPlayer in the U.K. In the meantime, check out our review of the first three episodes.