Doctor WhoJohn Hurt’s 50th anniversary special ‘The Day of the Doctor’ is one of my favorite episodes of the series, and although John Hurt’s War Doctor was a surprisingly good addition to the franchise, I’m still sure a new iteration of the Doctor was unnecessary. Of all the actors who have played the Doctor, Hurt is at the bottom of the list in terms of how many times he has taken on the role. Fortunately, it didn’t take him long to portray a solid and believable version of the famous Time Lord, but I still wanted someone else to play his role.
Even objectively speaking, I find it difficult to argue that “The Day of the Doctor” isn’t one of the greatest Doctor Who stories ever. The episode didn’t invent the concept of a multi-Doctor story, but it added something new and exciting to the formula, revealing an unprecedented regeneration between Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor and Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth. Although the War Doctor’s name has become a bit meaningless now, the character remains one of former showrunner Steven Moffat’s greatest contributions to Doctor Who canon. However, Hurt’s Casting Shouldn’t Have Been Necessary.
I’m still not over Christopher Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor not returning for Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary
The War Doctor was created after Eccleston turned down the offer to return as Nine
It is widely known among Doctor Who fan base that John Hurt was a replacement for the original actor who intended to appear in his place. Moffat’s plan was to unite Eccleston’s Ninth Doctor with David Tennant’s Tenth and Matt Smith’s Eleventh.. Devastatingly, but also somewhat predictably, Eccleston turned down the opportunity to play the role again, which was a deal breaker as far as Moffat’s nearly completed script was concerned. The writer spoke with Digital Spy about Eccleston’s response to the offer, saying he was “so depressed“because he had”wrote most of the script and [Eccleston] was in it.“
I loved Eccleston as the Doctor and would have loved to see him play the role again alongside two of the best to ever do it. His time as Nine was too short for my taste, and although Eccleston reprized the role in Audio Adventures, I’m pretty sure the time has passed for him to make another on-screen appearance in Doctor Who. Eccleston’s version of the Time Lord carried a secret sadness under a theatrically smiling demeanor, and discovering that it was Nine who actually fought in the Time War would have been an excellent addition to her story.
Paul McGann’s Eighth Doctor should have been the next option after Eccleston’s refusal to return
McGann’s Doctor Who return in “The Day of the Doctor” would have been brilliant
Steven Moffat’s failure to recruit Eccleston for ‘The Day of the Doctor’ was a huge blowbut he didn’t give up on making his script work. The writer admitted that he considered using an alternative doctor from the series’ rich history to replace Eccleston, but ultimately decided to create the War Doctor. In my opinion, Moffat abandoned his alternative too soon. If Nine wasn’t going to be a major player in Doctor WhoOn the 50th anniversary, the next best option would certainly be to return just one more doctor and bring back Paul McGann.
If Eight knew what needed to be done, I don’t see why he couldn’t have simply been the Doctor who fought in the Time War.
McGann appeared as part of the 50th anniversary celebrationsby playing the Eighth Doctor in live-action for the first time since his failed 1996 film, bringing an older version of the character to life in the 2013 short, “Night of the Doctor.” The plot shows Eight’s controlled regeneration into the War Doctor, revealing a desire to take up arms. If Eight knew what needed to be done, I don’t see why he couldn’t have simply been the Doctor who fought in the Time War.
Furthermore, Paul McGann’s Doctor has always felt quite isolated from the rest, as his film is widely dismissed – although it still remains canon. So letting McGann join Smith and Tennant in “The Day of the Doctor” would have integrated his brief era in Doctor WhoIt’s the modern era. Happily, McGann finally managed a brief return to the main Doctor Who show in “The Power of the Doctor”, 2022.
John Hurt’s War Doctor Was Still a Great Solution to Eccleston’s Absence
I’m glad we got to see Hurt play the War Doctor
Such a big change to the Doctor’s timeline wouldn’t have been my first choice since Eccleston turned down the chance to return, but Moffat still managed to make an undesirable scenario completely entertaining. The disturbance to Doctor WhoThe numbering system caused by Hurt’s introduction was not ideal, but his presence in the Doctor’s story strangely caused few problems.
From a performance point of view, John Hurt did an incredible job as the War Doctor. Somehow he maintained the Doctor’s signature quirkiness without letting his deep, brooding veneer slip. If Moffat had to create a new Doctor to replace Eccleston, I’m glad we also got John Hurt as the actor who played him. The War Doctor’s place in Doctor Who Canon may be relatively small, but the impact he left on the franchise as a whole is undeniable.
Source: Digital Spy