An apple a day keeps the Doctor away, which is why I stayed as far away from Granny Smith as humanly possible after landing in San Diego. Upon arriving at Comic-Con, I made a beeline for the nearest TARDIS charging station and sat down with the Twelfth Doctor himself, Peter Capaldi, to talk about Doctor Who and his role in the upcoming video game LEGO Dimensions (which features a sprawling Doctor Who-themed level pack). Alongside his Who co-stars Jenna Coleman and Michelle Gomez, Capaldi lent his distinct vocal talents to bring the Doctor to life in the game. Considering the Doctor will be gallivanting about with the likes of Gandalf, Batman, Wyldstyle, Homer Simpson, and Scooby Doo, it’s like my fan fiction come to life. (Not the R-rated stuff, mind you.)

In our wide-ranging conversation, Capaldi and I discussed the experience of seeing himself as a LEGO minifig for the first time, making the leap to video games, and much more. Plus, Capaldi, a lifelong Doctor Who fan himself, had some strong opinions on which creatures he’d like to see creep their way into LEGO Dimensions. He was also quick to bust out some seriously on-point impressions of both Tom Baker and John Pertwee, which you’ll see in tomorrow’s Nerdist News. Most of all, Capaldi seemed bemused and excited to be here at Comic-Con; though he has been to fan conventions before, this is his first experience taking the plunge into the nerdy netherworld of SDCC. Don’t worry — I gave him a few tips about how to survive the experience, so we won’t have to worry about whether or not he’ll have to regenerate into someone else come next season.

What Doctor Who characters would you like to see in LEGO Dimensions? Let us know in the comments below.

Dan Casey is the senior editor of Nerdist and the author of 100 Things Avengers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. You can follow him on Twitter (@Osteoferocious).