Next year, Peter Capaldi will be back for his third season on Doctor Who, but he won’t be the only familiar face returning to the show. BBC has announced that Matt Lucas is joining the cast for the 10th season!

Lucas will be reprising his role as Nardole from last year’s Doctor Who Christmas special, “The Husbands of River Song.” Nardole will become the second one-off character from a modern Who Christmas special to become a series regular (or at least semi-regular, as it’s yet unclear how many episodes he’ll appear in). The other was Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble.

Of course, Nardole’s return raises some questions as well. Will he still be stuck in the robot body of King Hydroflax? Or will Nardole once again have a physical body of his own? Perhaps his appearances this season will somehow take place before his first appearance on the show. BBC’s announcement was also vague about whether Nardole is joining the TARDIS crew alongside new companion Bill (Pearl Mackie). Somehow we doubt that Nardole is lead villain material, but if he’s not teaming with the Doctor, then it’s possible he’s under the thumb of the series’ next big bad. Either way, it should be fun!

Lucas is primarily known for his leading role in Little Britain, as well as his roles in Disney’s Alice in Wonderland and Alice Through the Looking Glass, Man Seeking Woman, and Fresh Off the Boat. Doctor Who season 10 will begin production later this month and premiere on BBC and BBC America in 2017.

Are you excited about Lucas joining the show this season? Let us know in the comment section below!

Image: BBC