Recasting Doctor Who's 2005 Relaunch If It Happened Today: All 7 Main Characters

Image via MovieStillsDB Published Nov 15, 2026, 12:45 PM EST Dani Kessel Odom (they/them) is an autistic lead writer and TV critic who covers sci-fi shows like Doctor Who and Pluribus, fantasy shows like The Magicians and Percy Jackson, and horror of all kinds. They also cover Marvel and DC TV shows and movies, with a robust knowledge of comic books. Their TV reviews can be found on Rotten Tomatoes. Dani is also part of ScreenRant's books team, using their fiction writing and literature studies as the backbone for their book analyses. They have covered events, such as the Denver Fan Expo. Professionals in the field, such as Damien Leone and Lucy Hale, have shared their articles. Their review of Ponies was quoted in the show's TV trailer. In university, they majored in English Writing with a minor in psychology. They have always had a passion for analyzing TV and movies, even taking filmography and scriptwriting classes in university. They also studied and participated in onstage and onscreen acting extensively from the ages of 7 to 18. Aside from working at Screen Rant, Dani has worked as a freelance editor and writer over the past decade, often in a ghostwriting capacity. Sign in to your ScreenRant account If Doctor Who relaunched the 2005 series today, seven actors would make the perfect new cast. Few sci-fi shows have had as lasting a cultural influence as Doctor Who, which has held its place in the pop culture zeitgeist for six decades. Unfortunately, right now, we Whovians are in a dry spell onscreen. The BBC shared plans for Doctor Who to return in 2028 or 2029, potentially using iconic villains but not overly relying on past lore. They hope to announce their new partner in March 2027. To fill the time, many folks have subscribed to AMC+ to watch Doctor Who at its new home. Others have started listening to Big Finish Audio’s best Doctor Who audio drama stories, which are phenomenal. Many of the best franchise actors have returned in these stories. Meanwhile, many folks have started fancasting. As a massive Whovian, I’ve decided to get in on the fun. Looking forward, Billie Piper shut down rumors she’d play the Sixteenth Doctor. Still, there are great choices to play the Doctor, including Aimee Lou Wood and Robert Carlyle. But what if we look back instead? If we remade the 2005 relaunch today, who could play the main and recurring roles in the Ninth Doctor era? Setting fame aside and staying as true to the original characters as possible, here are the modern actors who could take on the iconic roles. 7 Asa Butterfield As Adam, The Hated Companion Samuel Taylor/Netflix © 2022 Most Notable Roles Title Character Year Ender's Game Ender Wiggin 2013 Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children Jake Portman 2016 Sex Education Otis Milburn 2019-2023 Adam Mitchell is one of the most despised companions the Doctor has ever had. He goes from the likable boy genius to a selfish antagonist who gets kicked off the TARDIS. Asa Butterfield would be the ideal actor to play him if the 2005 revival were redone today. To be clear, my thinking that Asa Butterfield would play the hateable character well doesn’t mean I hate the actor. I actually think he's fantastic. Rather, Butterfield built his career on playing brilliant young men, like Ender Wiggin in Ender’s Game and Gardner Elliot in The Space Between Us. His most famous role, Otis in Sex Education, shows the same kind of charm and likability of early Adam. Meanwhile, his role as Adam in Unchosen proves he can play morally complex characters who do bad things without being bad people. Any actor who played Adam Mitchell would need to walk that fine line, as the character isn’t evil, just selfish and greedy. 6 Will Poulter As Pete Tyler Most Notable Roles Title Character Year We're The Millers Kenny Rossmore 2013 The Maze Runner Trilogy Gally 2014-2018 Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 Adam Warlock 2023 Warfare Erik 2025 Technically, Pete Tyler isn't a recurring role in the Ninth Doctor’s season of Doctor Who, but he’s first introduced there and then returns in the Tenth Doctor’s first season. Across the different episodes, he is part of Rose’s most heartbreaking moment, a funny grifter, and a resistance leader. It takes a versatile actor to tackle all these storylines while making them feel like the same character. I stand ten toes down that Will Poulter is one of the most versatile actors. He has acted in nearly every genre, and he could easily play Pete Tyler. Will Poulter has proven he can carry the emotional weight of “Father’s Day.” He actually started in comedy, despite being known for his more dramatic and action-oriented roles. As such, he could lean into the “get rich quick” ideas Pete Tyler pursues during the Prime Universe while coming across as charming instead of slimy. On top of that, Poulter’s roles in Warfare and Guardians of the Galaxy 3 show he can play a hardened leader. 5 Billie Piper As Jackie Tyler Image via MovieStillsDB Most Notable Roles Title Character Year Doctor Who Rose Tyler 2005-2020 Secret Diary of a Call Girl Belle/Hannah 2007-2011 I Hate Suzie Suzie Pickles 2020-2022 Wednesday Isadora Capri 2025 At this point, 21 years have passed since Billie Piper first appeared as Rose Tyler in Doctor Who. Piper has continued to voice Rose in Big Finish Productions audio dramas. However, the original actor couldn’t return to the same role if they redid the Ninth Doctor era, unless they fundamentally changed the character to be older, more mature, less naive, and more grounded. However, she could absolutely be cast as Jackie Tyler if the show were redone today. Is this nostalgia casting? Absolutely. Could she still do it? Also, yes. Jackie is much more grounded in reality, and she is deeply protective of her daughter. She’s just as brave and resourceful as Rose but much less restless and self-absorbed. They both share the same impulsiveness and emotional reactivity. However, unlike her daughter, Jackie doesn’t trust others immediately. Her skeptical views of the world seem shaped by her hard work and resilience as a working-class single mother. Ultimately, Piper could easily play this mother, as they share enough core traits while also reflecting the actor’s more mature roles. 4 Damson Idris As Mickey Smith Most Notable Roles Title Character Year Snowfall Franklin Saint 2017-2023 Farming Enitan 2018 F1: The Movie Joshua Pearce 2025 If they ever remade the 2005 Doctor Who revival, they’d probably replace Mickey Smith with a different character because of the allegations against the original actor. However, if they brought back the character, Damson Idris would be a great recast. The Doctor Who season 1 character is an everyday mechanic who grows into a heroic freedom-fighter. He becomes so much more than just “Rose’s insecure boyfriend.” Idris’ performances in Snowfall and F1: The Movie show he can play the underdog blue-collar worker who rises to greatness. In retrospect, Mickey is also a very emotional human being, and reacts pretty understandably to a very non-human situation. Idris has already shown a wide emotional range, and he can handle the different sides of Mickey. On top of that, the actor has authentic London roots, and he can play early 20s with the right styling and haircut, even though he’s 35 years old. 3 Jonathan Bailey As Jack Harkness Image via MovieStillsDB Most Notable Roles Title Character Year Bridgerton Lord Anthony Bridgerton 2020-2026 Fellow Travelers Tim Laughlin 2023 Wicked Fiyero 2024 Jurassic World Rebirth Dr. Henry Loomis 2025 Jack Harkness feels like the James Bond archetype except omnisexual and more rogueish. He has that magnetic charm and flirtatiousness. At the same time, he never shies away from a challenge. He has a flair for the dramatic, with a Broadway-esque energy. Jack is the kind of character you can never fully predict what he’s going to do. If any modern actor can fill that role, it’s Jonathan Bailey. He did formerly appear on one episode of the BBC show, but it's not uncommon for actors to play multiple roles in Doctor Who. Bailey would bring authentic queerness to the screen as a gay man, and he has chemistry with almost anyone. Anthony and Kate from Bridgerton rank alongside Hawkins and Tim from Fellow Travelers as one of the steamiest TV romances. His Wicked character, Fiyero, embodies hedonism and adventure. Adding to that, his role in Jurassic World Rebirth shows he can handle sci-fi stunt work. On top of that, Fellow Travelers’ heavy, dark story proves Bailey can handle Jack Harkness’ more tragic storylines. 2 Rhea Norwood As Rose Tyler Most Notable Roles Title Character Year Heartstopper & Heartstopper Forever Imogen Heaney 2022-2026 Cabaret (West Side) Sally Bowles 2024 Pride & Prejudice Lydia 2026 Only Murders in the Building season 6 TBA 2026 Of all the actors in this fancasting, Rhea Norwood is the least well-known, but she’s quickly rising in fame both onscreen and on stage. Her most popular role, Imogen from Heartstopper, has a similar down-to-earth, working-class relatability to Rose Tyler. Imogen and Rose both try to break out of what’s expected of them and embrace their authentic selves. They're also fiercely loyal and brash. Norwood’s roles in Heartstopper, Your Christmas or Mine 2, and in the audio story Jilly Cooper’s Pressing Engagement show that she has fantastic comedic timing and can deliver punchy quips. Her powerhouse performance as Sally Bowles in Cabaret on the West End, with a snippet available on the Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club YouTube, shows she can handle the more emotional and heavy parts of Rose Tyler’s storyline. Most importantly, Norwood is a commanding presence who could hold her own, which is absolutely essential for any "best" Doctor Who companion from any era. 1 Jack O’Connell As The Ninth Doctor Image via MovieStillsDB Most Notable Roles Title Character Year Skins James Cook 2009-2013 Unbroken Louis Zamperini 2014 SAS: Rogue Heroes Paddy Mayne 2022-2025 Sinners Remmick 2025 28 Years Later & 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple Sir Jimmy Crystal 2025 & 2026 Much like Christopher Eccleston, Jack O’Connell has the Northern anti-establishment attitude and grit that define the Ninth Doctor thanks to his Derbyshire upbringing. Nine is defined by the trauma and thinly veiled anger caused by the Time War, and movies like Unbroken and ‘71 show O’Connell can handle that haunted quality. I could fully see him nailing the “I watched it happen. I made it happen!” outbursts during “Dalek.” Rather than matching the whimsical humor of his earlier and later incarnations, the actor’s most notable roles, like Skins and SAS: Rogue Heroes, share the same chaotic, frantic style of humor. Dark humor is almost a coping mechanism for most of Jack O’Connell’s characters. No matter how dark his characters are, he’s still extremely charismatic, and I could see O’Connell smiling and bobbing his head along to “Tainted Love” as Eccleston does. Ultimately, I can't think of many actors who could play my favorite Doctor if Doctor Who season 1 were rebooted, but Jack O’Connell is probably the best. Release Date 2005 - 2022-00-00 Network BBC Directors Graeme Harper, Euros Lyn, Douglas Mackinnon, Jamie Magnus Stone, Charles Palmer, Rachel Talalay, Joe Ahearne, James Strong, Jamie Childs, Saul Metzstein, Toby Haynes, Wayne Che Yip, Nick Hurran, Richard Clark, James Hawes, Daniel Nettheim, Colin Teague, Keith Boak, Azhur Saleem, Adam Smith, Andrew Gunn, Nida Manzoor, Lawrence Gough, Paul Murphy Writers Steven Moffat, Russell T. Davies Cast Jodie Whittaker The Doctor Creator(s) Donald Wilson, Sydney Newman