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Could Captain Jack Be Returning to DOCTOR WHO?

We love the rumor mill, because even if a rumor ends up being debunked—and they most of the time are—it still gives us some fun things to think about for awhile. And then if it ends up being true, it’s a great day for everyone involved. Such is the case on May 6 when actor John Barrowman announced via a short video that he’d be “back in Cardiff in about a week and a half… but I’m not telling you what for!” Guys…do you know what films in Cardiff? If you said Doctor Who, you are right.

Nerdist has reached out to BBC America for comment, but had yet to hear back at the time of publication (because hahaha, why would they confirm such a thing with us?). We will update you if and when we learn more.

The rumor was picked up by Den of Geek in the UK, which points out that Barrowman was in Wales promoting his new book. And while him being cryptic in no way guarantees his involvement in Doctor Who, or even its new spinoff series Class, and lots of things film in Cardiff, buuuuuuut, let’s be real…what else would he be so cagey about? Here’s the video.

Now, I personally feel like he’s being a little too coy for it NOT to be related to the Doctor Who universe. He could be appearing on Class, but it seems much more likely to me that Barrowman could be returning as Captain Jack Harkness for this year’s Christmas special.

The evidence for this is the following: 1) Peter Capaldi has already mentioned that Bill, the newly announced companion played by Pearl Mackie, won’t be joining the show until the beginning of series 10. (“I don’t know whether [the new companion] would be involved in the Christmas special, because it’s so specific, the story we’re doing with the companion.”)

2) Because of the lack of Bill in the Christmas special, and the fact that Doctor Who has not been on television since Christmas 2015, it’s going to need a big draw to make the episode appointment viewing on Christmas Day. It’s usually very highly rated that day anyway, but every little bit will help.

3) Last year’s special which saw Capaldi’s Doctor meet with River Song (Alex Kingston) did very well, and closed some doors for her character as head writer Steven Moffat prepares to depart following series 10.

4) Steven Moffat essentially created Captain Jack Harkness. The character’s first appearance was in the Moffat-penned “The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances” from series 1. Even though he stuck around and was a definite Russell T. Davies character in the spinoff series Torchwood, maybe Moffat would want to check off all the boxes of characters he ushered in before bowing out. He also never wrote Capt. Jack again following his debut, and Capt. Jack kinda rules, so why wouldn’t he want to put him in there?

Whatever ends up happening, or if John Barrowman is just being weirdly coy, the idea of Captain Jack getting to grace our screens again is a cool one. He hasn’t been seen since Torchwood: Miracle Day which was sort of a disappointment (to say the least). And with Barrowman now on Arrow, and that show on hiatus, a return to Cardiff for some Who action is not a stretch.

What do you think? Could Captain Jack be back or is this a silly person being silly? Let us know in the comments below!

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Image: BBC


Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor and the resident Whovian for Nerdist. Follow him on Twitter!

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