Varada Sethu joins season 2 as Ncuti Gatwa’s companion

The more companions, the merrier!

Varada Sethu has officially joined season 2 of ‘Doctor Who’ as the new companion of Ncuti Gatwa’s Doctor, but she will not replace current companion Millie Gibson, as previously reported.

Rumors swirled in January that Gibson, who made her debut as companion Ruby Sunday in the sci-fi show’s Christmas special, would not return for season 2 after Gatwa was spotted filming with Sethu. However, it appears the three will take up time and space together in the second season, which is currently in production and will debut in 2025 on Disney+ worldwide and on the BBC in Britain.

Sethu is best known for her role as Cinta Kaz in Disney+’s ‘Star Wars’ spin-off ‘Andor’. She also appeared in ‘Jurassic World Dominion’, ‘Annika’ and ‘Strike Back’.

“I feel like the luckiest person in the world. It’s such an honor to be part of the Whoniverse, and I’m so grateful to the entire ‘Doctor Who’ family – because that’s what they are – for welcoming me with open arms and making me feel so at home to feel.” Sethu said in a statement. “I couldn’t ask for a better team than Ncuti and Millie to experience this adventure with. This is so much fun!”

Showrunner, writer and executive producer Russell T Davies added: “I worked with Varada for the first time on a BBC production of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, and it’s a pleasure to welcome her aboard the TARDIS. Right now in the studio, where we’re filming for 2025, Ncuti, Millie and Varada are fighting side by side – we need all three, because the stakes are higher than ever!

Gatwa’s first season as the Doctor premieres May 10 at 7pm ET on Disney+ in the US and the rest of the world excluding Britain, with a repeat of the Christmas special “The Church on Ruby Road” and two new episodes. In Britain, “Doctor Who” will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer at midnight on May 11, before airing on BBC One later that day. New episodes will then appear every Friday on Disney+ and Saturdays on the BBC and BBC iPlayer.

“Doctor Who” is produced by Bad Wolf with BBC Studios for Disney Branded Television and the BBC. Other executive producers include Phil Collinson, Joel Collins, Julie Gardner and Jane Tranter.