The Doctor is out! Matt Smith has called time on his stint in Doctor Who, and will not be returning for Season 8 of the rebooted series.
"Doctor Who has been the most brilliant experience for me as an actor and a bloke, and that largely is down to the cast, crew and fans", the actor said in a statement. "The fans are unlike any other; they dress up, shout louder, know more about the history of the show - and speculate more about the future of the show - in a way that I have never seen before, [their] dedication is truly remarkable."
There's been no explanation as to why Smith has chosen to part ways with the Time Lord after four years, but chances are he felt he'd done all he could with the character. Sure don't they all talk about moving on to new challenging roles? Anyway, one thing's for certain: He wasn't dragged out screaming, because showrunner Steven Moffat seems rather sad to be saying goodbye to youngest Doctor ever. (Smith was only 26 when he was cast.)
"Every day, on every episode, in every set of rushes, Matt Smith surprised me: the way he’d turn a line, or spin on his heels, or make something funny, or out of nowhere make me cry, I just never knew what was coming next", he said. Thankfully, he won't be losing his leading lady, with Jenna Louise Coleman confirmed as the Doctor's companion for Season 8.
And who will be taking the helm of the Tardis? Well, they haven't quite figured that one out yet. "The role has not been offered to anyone and the producers have not settled on a suitable candidate", a BBC spokesperson told The Daily Mail.
Guess we'll have to wait until Smith finishes out his term in Doctor Who 50 and the Christmas Special to see who he'll morph into next.
