Another soft reboot of Doctor Who is reportedly on the horizon.
The Mirror is reporting that Jodie Whittaker has told bosses that she will not return to the BBC sci-fi drama for a fourth season.
The outlet claims that the actress intends to stick to the traditional rule of having a three-season tenure inside the TARDIS.
Many previous iterations of the Doctor spent three seasons with the series, so the report is hardly surprising.
An insider claims that it is common knowledge on the set that the actress is currently filming her last hurrah in the role, and that producers are anticipating the arrival of the 14th Doctor.
“Her departure is top secret but at some point over the coming months the arrival of the 14th Doctor will need to be filmed. It’s very exciting,” the insider adds of the revelation.
Whittaker’s co-stars Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole were written out of the series just days ago in the epic New Year special.
It’s unclear what this exit means for other cast members such as Mandip Gill, but it’s possible some of the current cast could be kept around to usher in the new era of Doctor Who.
Filming on Doctor Who Season 13 is set to wrap in the summer ahead of a late 2021 launch.
Other Doctors to leave the drama after three runs include William Hartnell, Patrick Troughton, Peter Davison, Sylvester McCoy, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi.
Whittaker is the first female to lead the cast as the Doctor, and it will be exciting to see how the franchise evolves.
The already ordered 13th season has found its episode order slashed to eight amid COVID-19 concerns, but we’ll just be happy to get some fresh episodes this year.
Whittaker was announced as the timelord in July 2017, and quickly emerged as a fan-favorite.
“I’m beyond excited to begin this epic journey – with Chris and with every Whovian on this planet. It’s more than an honor to play the Doctor. It means remembering everyone I used to be, while stepping forward to embrace everything the Doctor stands for: hope. I can’t wait,” Jodie Whittaker stated in a press release when her casting was announced.
As of writing, The BBC has not confirmed or denied reports that Whittaker is out, rather saying that they will not comment on reports about her future with the show.
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Paul Dailly is the Associate Editor for TV Fanatic. Follow him on Twitter.