There probably has never been a bigger fan of Doctor Who than the actor playing the current incarnation of The Doctor. But even that couldn’t convince Peter Capaldi to stay forever.
Capaldi, who debuted as the 12th Doctor in 2013, announced late Monday he was leaving Doctor Who after the current season. That means for the second time in as many opportunities during the reboot era that started in 2005, the actor in the title role has departed the same time as the outgoing showrunner.
The announcement was technically made Tuesday morning in the United Kingdom while Capaldi appeared on Jo Whiley’s BBC Radio 2 program. He said that while BBC had asked him to return for an 11th season, he declined.
“I feel sad. I love Doctor Who. It is a fantastic program to work on. I can’t praise the people I work with more highly, but I have always been someone that did a lot of different things.”
He will star in the 10th season, which is set to debut this spring. But then he’ll depart the same way he came in – during the annual Doctor Who Christmas special, when he replaced Matt Smith.
