Summary
In April 2024,Doctor Whoconfirmed it would welcome Varada Sethu on board the TARDIS as a new companion in 2025. The actress is known for her role in theStar WarsAndorseries but also starred inJurassic World Dominionand the 2018 dramaHard Sun. She will join Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor andMillie Gibson’s Ruby Sundayas an extra companion in season 15. Additionally, in a surprise move, she briefly joined theDoctor Whoseason 14 castas a character called Mundy Flynn in episode 3, titled “Boom.”
Varada Sethu revealed inDoctor Who: Unleashedthat she had so much fun filmingDoctor Whoseason 14 that she didn’t want to leave, and was subsequently overjoyed to be invited back to the show months later.Doctor Whoshowrunner Russel T Davies gave some hints as to Sethu’s companion’s story in season 15; speaking onDoctor Who: Unleashed, he said, “She’s coming in, into season 2, but quite how that happens, what happens, why it happens, is very much knitted into the story of the Doctor and the story of Ruby Sunday.”
Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Specials Ending Explained
The final Doctor Who anniversary special, “The Giggle,” is a regeneration story like no other - and its ending sets up some tremendous adventures.
Doctor WhoSets Up A Romance Story Between Ruby & Season 15’s New Companion
Doctor WhoMakes Comments Linking Ruby to A New Character
It is uncertain whether Varada Sethu’s companion inDoctor Whoseason 15will be Mundy Flynn or a different character. InDoctor Who, characters have been recast before, and in-universe explanations have often been provided. Chances are, the Doctor would probably recognize Sethu, should she show up as a different character. Therefore, it seems most likely that the Mundy Flynn character will return as one of the Doctor’s companions in season 15. This makes sense, considering the comments of Russel T Davies, linking her to Ruby Sunday.
Supporting this idea, the Doctor made a joke in “Boom” as he is just getting introduced to Varada Sethu’s character, connecting her to Ruby. He suggested to Mundy Flynn that she should marry Ruby, as she would then be called “Mundy Sunday,” at which the Doctor would laugh “every day.” While this jest was made light-heartedly and also under intense pressure, it would make sense for this to relate to a future plot point. Otherwise, the line would just be a throwaway joke.
Doctor WhoSeason 15’s Teased Romance Can Ease The Injustice Of Thirteen & Yaz
Doctor WhoTeased Queer Romance Before But Could Deliver In Season 15
The Doctor’s joke about a wedding between Mundy and Ruby teases a queer romance that the show missed out on earlier. The Thirteenth Doctor, played by Jodie Whittaker, in her famous, first female incarnation, underwent a frustrated love story with her female companion, Yaz. While Yaz’s feelings were made explicit in the show, the Doctor declined the romance to protect her. Considering their dangerous adventures thus far, this was a distinctly unsatisfactory reason for the Doctor to reject a relationship that she seemed invested in.
Show producer Matt Strevens revealed atDoctor WhoconventionGallifrey Onethat Jodie Whittaker pushed for her character’s romance with Yaz. Ultimately,Doctor Whofailed its Thirteen and Yaz romance, having teased it but abandoned it, unlike some of the straight romances that played out before it. Considering the return of older characters in the show in the past,Doctor Whocould easily bring back Yaz and the Thirteenth Doctor to make up for this. In the meantime, it could prove that it won’t dodge queer romances for main characters like Ruby and Mundy.
Show writerChris Chibnall explained Thirteen and Yaz not kissingin their last episode by describing their storyline as “an unrequited love story,“but balanced it by saying “who said it didn’t happen at some point?” This indicates that while it didn’t happen onscreen,Doctor Whois at least open to its main characters enjoying same-sex relationships. Actor Neil Patrick Harris confirmed thatNcuti Gatwa plays the first gay Doctor, so it is not a stretch to look forward to a romance between Ruby and Mundy.
Doctor Who
Cast
Doctor Who: Released on June 16, 2025, this series follows the Doctor and their companion as they journey across time and space, encountering a range of extraordinary friends and adversaries, expanding the universe of the long-running British science fiction series.
