Doctor Who spoilers follow.
Doctor Who writer and former showrunner Steven Moffat has addressed new companion Varada Sethu's surprise appearance in the latest episode of the hit BBC sci-fi.
The Andor actor was recently confirmed to be joining the Fifteenth Doctor (Ncuti Gatwa) and Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson) on their galactic adventures next season.
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Fans were therefore surprised to see Sethu make her Doctor Who debut in Saturday's (May 18) episode 'Boom', where she played Mundy Flynn, an ordained Anglican Marine who meets the Doctor and Ruby on a distant planet.
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Speaking to Radio Times, Moffat teased what Sethu's unexpected appearance could mean going forward, revealing: "There is a plan. That's all I'm telling."
The former showrunner went on to compare Sethu to Jenna Coleman, who previously appeared as different incarnations of her character Clara long before she debuted as Matt Smith's new companion.
"I mean, I was talking to Russell [T Davies, showrunner] about what we're going to do, but she's there!" he explained to The Hollywood Reporter.
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"We're just going to do Clara again. So it's fun, isn't it? It wakes you up. You think, 'Ah, there she is!"
When asked about the significance of Mundy's name, Moffat remained tight-lipped. "And I think I'm going to say nothing about that. I'm going to say nothing about what's going on there," he said.
"You're not going to get nothing. It's Russell's plan and he will release the details of how that works in his own time, I'm certain."
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Davies himself wasn't giving anything away during an appearance on the show's spin-off Doctor Who: Unleashed, saying: "She's coming in, into season 2, but quite how that happens, what happens, why it happens, is very much knitted into the story of the Doctor and the story of Ruby Sunday."
The latest episode, which was written by Moffat, saw the Doctor and Ruby stumble into war on planet Kastarion 3, though the Doctor is stuck on a landmine in a life-or-death situation.
Moffat's return to writing duties was met with many positive reactions from fans, with some calling it their "favourite" episode of Gatwa's season so far.
Doctor Who debuts new episodes at midnight on Saturday, airing on BBC One in the UK and Disney+ elsewhere. Classic episodes of Doctor Who are available on BBC iPlayer in the UK.
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Sara is an entertainment journalist who specialises in TV and film. After studying journalism at the University of Roehampton, Sara joined Digital Spy in 2023, writing news (and the occasional feature) on all things entertainment. She has also written for the culture desk at The Evening Standard. A lover of all things TV and film, Sara can wax lyrical about everything from Bridgerton to The Witcher. She can also recite entire episodes of New Girl, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Parks and Recreation. In her spare time, Sara loves to knit, crochet and cross-stitch. Also a musical theatre aficionado, Sara counts Samantha Barks as one of her heroes and is a loyal fan of Jodie Comer.
