Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies offers a final answer to the fates of David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble.

Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies offers a final answer to the fates of David Tennant’s Fourteenth Doctor and Catherine Tate’s Donna Noble following the 60th anniversary’s conclusion. Tennant and Tate returned to lead the long-running sci-fi series’ 60th anniversary across three specials, facing classic foes and terrifying unknowns from beyond the universe. Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary concluded with a shocking bi-generation twist, as Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor and the Fourteenth Doctor became two separate beings, and Tennant’s incarnation was allowed to retire to Earth and live with the Noble family.

While Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary’s conclusion left the Doctor and Donna enjoying a quiet life on Earth, Davies addressed their fate to Rolling Stone. With the Fourteenth Doctor left among a new family and TARDIS of his own on Earth, the showrunner firmly ruled out any chances of the pair returning to the series. Davies’ response to potential return was simply: “That was their ending.”

Will The Noble Family Ever Return?

Though Doctor Who‘s 60th anniversary may have left the universe with another Time Lord and TARDIS, it is clear that the series’ future is firmly focused on Gatwa’s Doctor. With Doctor Who season 14 also being envisioned as season 1 by both the BBC and Disney, and prior revival seasons being relegated to their own section on BBC iPlayer, it is clear that Davies has set up Gatwa’s new era as a fresh start for those wanting to take their first trips through the Time Vortex. As such, bringing back a past Doctor could leave newcomers wary of potential lore and other baggage.

While Tennant and Tate may not make an appearance, the fate of the Noble family will be carried on through Yasmin Finney’s Rose Noble. Having made her debut as the child of Donna and Shaun Noble (Karl Collins), Rose found herself carrying some of the leftover energy of Donna’s past Metacrisis condition, making her an unlikely ally to the Fourteenth Doctor in “The Star Beast”. Doctor Who season 14’s trailer sees Gatwa’s Doctor joined by Rose at UNIT HQ, establishing a vital connection between two eras thanks to the companion.

Davies had previously teased that Doctor Who season 14 would touch upon the Fourteenth Doctor’s fate, but his latest answer firmly rules out any on-screen return for Tennant and Tate. Though rumored spin-off series have shown the showrunner’s ambitions for the show, it is clear any new series wouldn’t be based around a past Doctor. While some may be disappointed by Davies’ answer, they can also take relief in knowing that the incarnation was left with a happy ending.