It has been rumoured that the upcoming series of Doctor Who will be her last.
And now Jodie Whittaker is set to be the first Doctor ever not to feature on the cover of the show’s annual.
The artwork for the 2022 Doctor Who annual will feature artwork of the Tardis, rather than a picture of Jodie as The Doctor.
End of an era: Doctor Who have dropped Jodie Whittaker from the cover of its 2022 annual, marking the first time ever The Doctor won’t feature on the front
Something new: Paul Lang, the author of the upcoming annual, tried to appease fans by saying that although Jodie isn’t on the cover, she is on almost all of the pages inside
Jodie’s iteration of the Time Lord has appeared on each of the last three Doctor Who annuals, but with rumours circulating about her future on the show, she has been removed the cover.
A source told The Mirror: ‘Every Doctor Who annual since 1964 has featured the current Doctor so this is a big departure for them. It’s surely no coincidence that it’s happened just as she’s on the way out.’
Another told the paper: ‘As ever bosses are staying tight-lipped about what they have planned, but with filming still ongoing they clearly have plans for episodes to be playing out much later into 2022 – so there’s still more to come for Jodie’s Doctor.’
MailOnline have approached the BBC for comment.
New regeneration: The artwork for the 2022 Doctor Who annual will feature artwork of the Tardis, rather than a picture of Jodie as The Doctor
After seeing fans’s reaction to the new cover, the author of the annual, Paul Lang took to Twitter to reassure fans that Jodie will still feature throughout the book.
He said: ‘I didn’t do the cover but I can assure you she is inside on (nearly) every page.’
While the publishers of the annual, Penguin Random House, told The Sun: ‘We made the decision some time ago to experiment with a non-character led illustrated cover.
‘Jodie is, of course, featured throughout the book itself.’
New face? Jodie’s iteration of the Time Lord has appeared on each of the last three Doctor Who annuals, but with rumours circulating about her future on the show, she has been removed the cover
It comes after rumours emerged that Jodie will leave Doctor Who after series 13.
In March, the BBC refused to comment on speculation, after it was reported that the screen star handed in her notice for the show.
Jodie reportedly told BBC bosses that she won’t be returning to the popular series following the conclusion of the upcoming series 13.
That will mark a three-year run for the actress, which is about average for recent actors playing the time-travelling alien.
One more series? In March, the BBC refused to comment on speculation, after it was reported that the screen star handed in her notice for the show
Matt Smith, David Tennant and Peter Capaldi also appeared on Doctor Who for three series each, while Christopher Eccleston only appeared on one series after the show was revived in 2005.
According to a source for The Mirror, the show is already at work on figuring out how Whittaker will be replaced by the Fourteenth Doctor.
As with previous Doctors, at the end of Whittaker’s tenure her character will ‘regenerate’ into a new form, at which point the next actor will take over the role.
Jodie made history in July 2017 when she was announced as the first-ever female doctor after Peter Capaldi ended his run.
Earlier this year, Mandip revealed that bosses are ‘open’ to casting a ‘woman of colour’ as the next Time Lord.
The actress, who plays Yasmin Khan in the sci-fi series, said that ‘there’s definitely room for change,’ when it comes to diversifying the show’s cast, following reports that Jodie has quit the role after four years in the TARDIS.
It comes after Who was universally praised by fans for introducing its first ever black Doctor, played by Jo Martin in a shocking twist that saw the time traveller learn of numerous incarnations from her past.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4, Mandip said she could see another black actor taking on the famous role, as bosses are yet to confirm rumours that Jodie will leave the show later this year.
She said: ‘I think there’s a long way to go but there’s definitely room for change. And actually, I think at the BBC and at Doctor Who they are very open and forward-thinking, so yes.’
Mandip joined the cast as Yaz alongside Jodie’s Doctor in 2018, and will appear alongside John when he joins the series as the new companion Dan later this year.
Making her mark: Jodie made history in July 2017 when she was announced as the first-ever female doctor after Peter Capaldi ended his run