Doctor Who Returning Characters Teased By Third Companion Actor

More Doctor Who returning characters are being teased by Third Companion actor Katy Manning, even if she isn’t one of those coming back.

Former Doctor Who star Katy Manning, who portrayed the character’s third companion Jo Grant, teases more returning characters and spin-offs are in the show’s future. Manning starred in the British sci-fi series from 1971-73 and served as the companion to Jon Pertwee’s Third Doctor. While she left Doctor Who in 1973 to pursue other opportunities, the show has remained close to her heart. She has continued voicing Grant in audio adventures by Big Finish Productions and also appeared in a cameo in the 2022 Doctor Who special, “The Power of the Doctor.”

Twitter user Phoenix with Bread recently attended a special Doctor Who screening, at which third companion actor Katy Manning was in attendance and spoke of the franchise’s future.

Despite rumors of Manning’s return in further Doctor Who projects, she reveals she doesn’t plan to be a big part of the show’s future. However, she did seemingly confirm that other returning characters will appear sometime in the future, as well as plans for future Doctor Who spin-offs.

Related: Doctor Who: Why Every Companion Actor Left The Show

Everything We Know About Doctor Who’s Future So Far

Manning’s tease comes at an exciting time of change for Doctor Who. “The Power of the Doctor,” which aired this past October, marked the end of Chris Chibnall’s stint as showrunner, as well as Jodi Whittaker’s tenure as the Thirteenth Doctor. Now, Russell T. Davies is coming back for a second run as showrunner, while Sex Education‘s Ncuti Gatwa will be the next Doctor. However, the special surprised viewers when Whittaker’s Doctor regenerated into David Tennan, who was previously the Tenth Doctor, instead of Gatwa as the Fourteenth Doctor for Doctor Who‘s 60th Anniversary Special.

The anniversary special is set to premiere in November and will play out across three episodes. In addition to Tennant, the special will see the return of the Tenth Doctor’s companion, Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble, and her grandfather, Wilfred Mott (Bernard Cribbins), who will contend with Neil Patrick Harris’ mysterious villain, theorized to be the 1966 Doctor Who villain, The Toymaker. Gatwa’s Doctor is also expected to appear in the special after the Fourteenth Doctor’s regeneration, with Yasmin Finney is also starring in the special as new companion Rose.

After the special, viewers won’t have to wait too long for more Doctor Who. Russell T. Davies confirmed he is bringing back Doctor Who‘s annual Christmas special starting this year, so viewers can anticipate its release in December. After that, Gatwa will star as the Fifteenth Doctor in Doctor Who season 14, which is anticipated to drop sometime in 2024, with Millie Gibson co-starring as the Doctor’s new companion, Ruby Sunday. Doctor Who‘s future after 2024 remains a bit elusive, but Manning’s tease suggests even bigger things are being planned.

Next: Doctor Who: Amy & Rory’s Timeline, ExplainedSource: Phoenix with Bread/Twitter