Doctor Who is bringing back two iconic actors, but there’s a twist

Following the shocking twist of the Season 15 finale, Doctor Who fans finally have a reason to rejoice. Two iconic actors dubbed as fan-favorites during their time on the show are returning to the franchise, but not as their characters.

Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill, who played the Eleventh Doctor’s companions, Amy Pond and Rory Williams, are confirmed to make an appearance in the upcoming Doctor Who: Unleashed episode, 20 Years in Wales.

The special episode in the docuseries celebrates 20 years of the revival of the sci-fi series, which originally aired from 1963 and 1989, and then made its comeback in 2005. The episode will feature appearances by several other cast members as well.

Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will appear in Doctor Who: Unleashed

Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill’s characters, Amy and Rory, were affectionately referred to as The Ponds by fans. They joined the Eleventh Doctor, played by Matt Smith, as his companions and accompanied him on his adventures. Both actors will be interviewed by host Steffan Powell about their journey and experience on the show.

They are returning to the franchise after more than a decade as Rory made his final appearance in Doctor Who in the 2012 episode, The Angels Take Manhattan, while Amy was last seen in the 2013 episode, The Time of the Doctor, which marked Matt Smith’s regeneration into the Twelfth Doctor, played by Peter Capaldi.

Arthur previously teased that he was open to playing Rory once again in a 2023 interview with RadioTimes. The actor said at the time:

“My fear with it before was I think the storyline we had was so perfect and so rounded that I just wouldn’t want anything to take away from that. Now we’re a bit older, I think at some point, even if it’s just a one-off, it’d be really interesting to do something more with it. Never say never!”

Apart from Karen and Arthur, several other people connected to Doctor Who will be seen in the Unleashed 20th anniversary special, including Ncuti Gatwa, whose journey as the Fifteenth Doctor came to a surprising end in the recently released Season 15 finale.

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Other celebrities who will be part of the special include Steven Moffat, Jodie Whittaker, Varada Sethu, David Tennant, Billie Piper, Chris Chibnall, Mandip Gill, Edward Thomas, Pearl Mackie, and showrunner Russell T Davies. The hour-long episode will be released on BBC iPlayer and YouTube on June 7, 2025.

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