Neil Patrick Harris is the latest addition to Doctor Who‘s upcoming 60th-anniversary special, where he’ll face off against a returning David Tennant. On the subject of who, or what, Harris is playing in the special, returning showrunner Russell T Davies, the writer stated that “You’ll just have to wait. But I promise you, the stuff we’re shooting now is off the scale. Doctor beware!” It’s an ominous statement that suggests that appropriately for an anniversary special, Neil Patrick Harris is playing a villain from the Doctor’s long history.
Given Neil Patrick Harris’ extensive career across stage and screen, including How I Met Your Mother and a memorable role as the villain of The Matrix Resurrections, he’ll be a big draw for audiences in 2023. Harris and Davies have previously worked together on an episode of the writer’s lauded drama series It’s A Sin, but it’s likely that this will be a more substantial role. Discussing the role on his own Instagram, Neil Patrick Harris promised to “try my hardest to do my worst.”
As ever with the announcement of a big-name guest star, Doctor Who fans have been speculating about who Neil Patrick Harris will be playing. Davies teased that the new production team is shooting stuff that’s “off the scale“, which suggests a villain that has not yet been seen in modern Doctor Who. With the recent return of the Sea Devils, the show is clearly looking into the back-catalog of villains that can be brought back with today’s visual effects technology. Given that the photo of Neil Patrick Harris doesn’t show him under layers of prosthetics, it suggests that this is a more humanoid threat for the Doctor. With the Master having returned multiple times since the series returned in 2005, it’s highly unlikely that it will be him. That said, there are several options from Doctor Who‘s rogues’ gallery who Neil Patrick Harris could play.
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The Meddling Monk
The Meddling Monk, who first appeared in the 1965 Doctor Who serial “The Time Meddler”, is regularly rumored to be on the way back. Originally played by comedy actor Peter Butterworth, the Monk was the very first Timelord other than the Doctor to be introduced to the audience. He delighted in meddling with historic events, trying and failing to change the outcome of the Battle of Hastings. He returned again during “The Dalek’s Masterplan”, but hasn’t been seen since with the character going on to regularly return in Doctor Who audio dramas.
There have been rumors of the Monk’s return throughout the years, including one memorable rumor that he’d be played by Star Trek‘s Patrick Stewart. Writer Peter Harness once revealed that he’d pitched a Meddling Monk story to Steven Moffat, which would have cast Matt Berry as the classic Doctor Who character. Given Neil Patrick Harris’ own background in comedy, he would be a good fit for a regeneration of the Monk opposite David Tennant’s Doctor. However, while it’s adorned with tools for tinkering or meddling, his costume doesn’t reflect a Monk, so it’s unlikely that Harris will be playing this particular role.
The Valeyard/Dream Lord
Some early rumors prior to the 60th anniversary began filming suggested that David Tennant would play The Valeyard, rather than the Doctor. The Valeyard is, in essence, the evil version of the Doctor. The exact nature of the Valeyard has never been fully explored following their sole appearance in “The Trial of a Timelord” but he’s either an amalgam of the Doctor’s darkest thoughts, an evil regeneration, or a mixture of both. While the Valeyard hasn’t yet returned to Doctor Who, a very similar character appeared during Matt Smith’s first season as the Eleventh Doctor.
Neil Patrick Harris is wearing a bow tie. The Dream Lord also wore a bow tie. This, however, is most likely a coincidence. The Dream Lord (Toby Jones) only appeared in one Doctor Who episode, season 5, episode 7, “Amy’s Choice”, but he made a lasting impression. He was revealed to be the Doctor’s subconscious, voicing his darkest thoughts and embodying the Doctor’s self-loathing. As Doctor Who moves into a new era in 2023, the Valeyard/Dream Lord would be a perfect way for the character to confront the darkness within them following revelations around the Timeless Child. Harris and Tennant are both incredibly likable performers that are capable of going to dark places with their characters. Neil Patrick Harris would therefore be a great foil for David Tennant as an evil Doctor.
The Master (of the Land of Fiction)
When announcing the return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate for Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary, RTD name-checked the Land of Fiction as a potential explanation for their return. The Land of Fiction is a pocket universe, in which fictional characters from comics, myths, and legends live and breathe. The Doctor, Jamie, and Zoe were trapped there during the 1968 serial “The Mind Robber,” where they interact with unicorns, superheroes, and Gulliver himself. Given the potential appearance of Doctor Who comics villains in the 60th, it’s possible that Russell T Davies is taking a high-concept, meta approach to the anniversary special.
The Eleventh Doctor once noted that “we’re all stories in the end“, so could Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary special be about the Doctor’s life as a story from myth and legend? Given the current fascination around multiverses in popular culture, it could provide a unique spin on the trend. The Doctor has been having adventures across space and time for thousands of years now, it makes sense that versions of those adventures would have passed into the very myths and legends that keep the Land of Fiction running. Aside from his apron, the hair and glasses of Neil Patrick Harris’ character aren’t a million miles away from those of the original Master of the Land of Fiction. Not only that, but it would satisfy a missed Doctor Who opportunity from RTD’s original era – a Christmas special where David Tennant battled fictional creatures from the mind of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling!
The Celestial Toymaker
The most obvious call for who Neil Patrick Harris will be playing in Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary special is the Celestial Toymaker. Appearing only once in the 1966 serial of the same name, the Toymaker is a powerful being that captures living beings and forces them to play games for his amusement. The trickster god is a familiar trope from Star Trek, but it’s one that rarely features in Doctor Who. With RTD promising “off the scale” scenes, it may be the perfect time to bring back the character.
His return was even teed up by departing Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall, in season 12, episode 7, “Can You Hear Me?” The Toymaker is briefly referenced during the Thirteenth Doctor’s confrontation with the Eternals Zellin and Rakaya, suggesting that he’s still out there playing games. If Neil Patrick Harris is playing the Toymaker, then the production team has wisely updated the costume from its problematic Mandarin costume to something that resembles Gepetto from Pinocchio. A more literal interpretation of the character, but one that brings them into the 21st century and eschews their problematic origins in East Asian stereotypes.
The Doctor and Donna being placed into a game for their very survival would be a great plot for Doctor Who‘s 60th-anniversary special. It recalls the Game of Rassilon from 1983’s “The Five Doctors” and would provide a suitably high-concept tone for the show going forward. With the return of the Celestial Toymaker, Doctor Who could go beyond the tired alien invasion plots and tackle the realm of the gods. In casting a charismatic actor like Neil Patrick Harris in the role, the Toymaker could become the Doctor’s very own version of Star Trek‘s Q. It would open up some hugely exciting and “off the scale” storytelling possibilities for the show for 2023 and beyond.