“I’ve got pictures of all your faces. You never show up in the right order though. I need the Spotter’s Guide.” — River Song, The Time of Angels

Besides the legion of fans worldwide, regeneration is what has kept the award winning TV series Doctor Who going  for more than 50 years. We have all witnessed our favorite Timelord change from one face to the next. It’s through these changes that the Doctor has aged more than 2,000 years in the span of the BBC series; but that time has come again. Time for another actor to take up the mantle and breathe new life into Doctor Who.

This time is especially significant because series front runner, Stephen Moffat, is leaving the show in the very capable hands of Chris Chibnall. As Peter Capaldi finishes his run as the 12th Doctor (okay, I know he’s actually the 13th but we don’t count the War Doctor in that line), the task of all Whovians around world is to nominate and root for the next Doctor.

Male or Female? Black, White, Asian or Hispanic? Tall or Short? Fat or Thin? Young or Old? The Doctor could regenerate into anyone, so here are my top choices for the next Doctor!

The majority of people across the internet wants the Doctor to be a woman. Since the Master has become Missy, why not the Doctor. I have two favorites if the Doctor is to regenerate that way … Dame Helen Mirren or Haley Atwell. These two are fan favorites, to the point that there’s already fan art portraying them that way. These women are accomplished actors with the intelligence, sex appeal and swagger to step into these shoes. They would bring a level of sophistication not seen since William Hartnell, Peter Troughton, and Jon Pertwee.

I mean, can you imagine the banter and innuendos between Helen Mirren and John Barrowman in the TARDIS? That alone is worth the price of admission. It would bring a level of charm and sex appeal that the Doctor hasn’t seen since 10 & 11. In any case, those detractors who think the Doctor shouldn’t be a woman really misunderstand the role. That’s the beauty of regeneration. The Doctor can be anyone he/she wants to be. I think if the Doctor regenerates into a woman, it wouldn’t be any different from other regenerations. It would bring a different perspective in how the Doctor interacts with others on his/her adventures.

Another big twist for the 13th Doctor is as a black man. Again, it’s more about the person rather than what sex or skin color they have. If I had to chose someone, I would pick Idris Elba or Chiwetel Ejiofor. Both are brilliant actors who have action movie credentials as well as that same level of charm and sophistication associated with the Doctor. However, I don’t think they would take the part being that they both have big franchise movie roles (Thor, The Dark Tower and Doctor Strange respectfully) so their schedule is pretty full to add a full-time TV production.

Lastly, there are the big name Hollywood stars, some of which are actually campaigning for the part. Eddie Redmayne (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them), Rupert Grint (Harry Potter franchise) and Alexander Vlahos (Versailles) have all expressed interest in the role, more so when asked about it. I think they would all be excellent choices for the role, taking us back to the days of David Tenant and Matt Smith with their smoldering good looks, wit and charm. Bonus points for Rupert Grint, as the Doctor always wanted to be a “ginger” for some reason.

In any case, they will be making the announcement soon as we get closer and closer to the end of Season 10 and the upcoming Christmas episode, where the regeneration will take place. A great addition to that episode already is that David Bradley will reprise his role as the 1st Doctor (William Hartnell) in this episode. Adding in the 13th Doctor will be a bonus that all of us Whovians are desperately waiting for.

It doesn’t matter who plays the Doctor, as long as the role continues on to inspire the next generation. Just remember these words when he/she appears:

“When you love the Doctor, it’s like loving the stars themselves. You don’t expect a sunset to admire you back. And if I happen to find myself in danger, let me tell you, the Doctor is not stupid enough, or sentimental enough, and he is certainly not in love enough to find himself standing in it with me!” — River Song, The Husbands of River Song

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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The Dark Tides is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse. The Outlander War can be previewed at Inkitt.