Over the weekend, a rumor that BBC was going to make the casting announcement for the next Doctor made the rounds online. BBC eventually denied the rumors saying that there would be no casting announcement, however on Sunday, The Telegraph reported that the role had been offered to Rory Kinnear, and that they were waiting for his acceptance. Kinnear will be recognized by most as MI6 officer Bill Tanner in the last two James Bond films Quantum of Solace and Skyfall.
The suggestion that the next Doctor had been cast gained some momentum when people started realizing that bookmakers who had been running odds on the next Doctor had suspended bets. While fandom seemed rather split on this possible choice, a friend of Kinnear’s, Liz Buckley, threw out the following tweets debunking the casting:
Everything in the papers about Rory Kinnear being asked to be the new Doctor is 100% bollocks, just so you know. He’s a bit sick of it.
— Liz Buckley (@liz_buckley) June 9, 2013
@datadivajf Lord no! He’s not been approached & wants the rumour quashed; it’s a casting PR smokescreen whilst the show auditions.
— Liz Buckley (@liz_buckley) June 9, 2013
Then today, the BBC finally came out and denied that it had offered the role to Kinnear, saying that “The search has only just begun and all will be revealed over the comings months.”
BBC says “search has only just begun” for #DoctorWho after bookies stopped bets claiming Rory Kinnear “offered” role. bbc.in/13tIVhS
— BBC Newsbeat (@BBCNewsbeat) June 10, 2013
So what’s your take on it? Think the role has already been cast, or will we be getting more of these random reports of actors being offered the role, until the official announcement is made?
