Doctor Who fans fume and brand show ‘woke’ as iconic villain Davros returns to show standing and able-bodied rather than in his life support unit
Doctor Who fans are furious after iconic villain Davros made a comeback to the show looking completely different.
The creator of the Daleks was seen standing tall and undisfigured when Julian Bleach reprized the role for a Children In Need special on Friday.
Sci-fi character Davros has been seen languishing in a mobile life support unit since 1975.
But during the charity special, he looked healthy and much healthier.
Showrunner Russell T Davies said he didn’t like that Davros was a ‘bad wheelchair user’.
All the change: Doctor Who fans are furious after iconic villain Davros made a comeback to the show looking completely different (pictured)
Looking back: Sci-fi character Davros was seen in a mobile life support unit looking wasted away since 1975 (pictured)
He explained, “Many of us on the production team did that too, because they associated disability with evil.”
But the change left fans unimpressed, with many taking to Twitter to express their frustration.
One person wrote: ‘I would actually much rather they left Davros in the past than try to rewrite history.’
Someone else said: ‘Daleks can move outside the shell, Davros cannot. It’s his wheelchair.’
‘I like The Change if it’s set before Genesis of the Daleks. I hate it when it replaces the persistent and deadly Davros. (Which according to RTD it is),” another show fan wrote.
Another show fan wrote: ‘My grandfather was a disabled World War II vet, very self-sufficient despite being in a wheelchair and was also an activist for disability access; he would not have had a problem with Davros as he is a strong character who succeeded and overcame obstacles despite his disability!’
While someone else shared: ‘I think I understand where they’re coming from with ‘Davros is harmful representation’ but I think it’s incredibly lame that they removed the forehead eye, you should keep that anyway.”
It comes after Ncuti Gatwa said a Doctor Who legend will be brought back from the dead as he revealed some Series 14 secrets this week.
Opinion: The change left fans unimpressed, with many taking to Twitter to express their frustration
The 31-year-old actor, who will make history as the first black male Time Lord, made the announcement on Wednesday while attending GQ magazine’s Men of the Year Awards.
Speak with The mirror on the red carpet, he explained, “I shouldn’t say this, but I somehow shot a scene with the very first Doctor, William Hartnell. At some point we end up in the same scene together.’
The late William Hartnell was the first Doctor and played the role from 1963 to 1966, starring in 137 episodes. He died in December 1975, at the age of 67, after a series of strokes.
The actor last reprized his role as The Doctor in The Three Doctors during Christmas/New Year 1972. This was his final on-screen appearance due to his declining health.
Ncuti added: “To see that history – now a black man as the doctor! It was just really wild.”
Doctor Who has been produced by the BBC since 1963 and when first released was intended as a weekly program broadcast on Saturday evenings.
It originally ran for 26 seasons from November 23, 1963 to December 6, 1989. It was intended as an educational show for families to teach the younger audience about history as the Doctor traveled through time with his companions, a history and science teacher. .
Exciting: Ncuti Gatwa, 31, has said a Doctor Who legend will be raised from the dead as he revealed some Series 14 secrets at GQ magazine’s Men of the Year Awards last Wednesday
On screen: The actor will make history next year as the first black male Time Lord
Ncuti became a household name when he starred as gay teenager Eric Effiong in the Netflix comedy-drama series Sex Education.
The Rwandan-Scottish star has yet to make his debut as a Dalek-fighting Time Lord. He has already raked in almost £1 million from his acting career.
The actor was announced as the next Doctor by screenwriter Russell T Davies last year and has been busy filming the 2024 series.
He will be the fifteenth actor to take on the full-time role of Time Lord in the BBC series when he makes his debut later this year.