RUMOUR: David Tennant returning for DOCTOR WHO's 60th anniversary

Multiple Doctor Who fan sites of differing levels of credibility are citing rumours that David Tennant will return for the 60th anniversary special in 2023. This special will also mark the return of former Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies for a second stint in charge of the franchise.

The reports seem to be divided on whether Tennant is returning as the Tenth Doctor in a multi-Doctor special - as he did in 2013 for the 50th anniversary special, The Day of the Doctor - or if he is returning as the Doctor, with the Fourteenth Doctor sharing a face with his Tenth incarnation. The idea of the Doctor being able to "return" to using old appearances was floated in The Day of the Doctor, with Tom Baker taking up the role of "The Curator," a far-future incarnation of the Doctor who has chosen to reuse the Fourth Doctor's face.

Although the idea seems somewhat fanciful, and may be possibly sparked by the idea of Davies reassembling a "dream team" of former Doctor Who personnel to work on the next series, including Phil Collinson, Jane Tranter and Julie Gardner, it's not completely insane. Davies has confirmed that his first episode will be the 60th anniversary special, which presumably will have to introduce the Fourteenth Doctor whilst also celebrating the show's history, which may be irreconcilable requirements. By having the Thirteenth Doctor "degenerate" into a previous incarnation, or a new incarnation that looks the same, this minimises the amount of introductory work needed whilst also possibly introducing a mystery that could form the backbone of the 60th special.

The reports do seem to agree that Tennant's return, if it's happening, will be brief, limited to potentially the 60th anniversary special alone and maybe a few subsequent episodes, with a full-time, brand-new Fifteenth Doctor due to pick up the reigns thereafter.

It may also be that a "degeneration" into a prior incarnation allows Davies to pay homage to the show's history without engaging in a full multi-Doctor special. Ninth Doctor Christopher Eccleston and Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi have seemingly ruled themselves out of returning, and it's questionable if Thirteenth Doctor Jodie Whittaker would return immediately in her very next episode. That only leaves Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith, who has always said he'd be happy to return to the role if required.

As usual, take with a grain of salt until the news is formally confirmed. With filming due to start on the next batch of episodes in the spring, it'll be hard to keep news of who is returning under wraps for long.