New Doctor Who Companion Continues A Casting Trend Dating Back To 2006

The following contains minor spoilers for Doctor Who Season 14 Episode 3, "Boom," now streaming on Disney+

Summary Varada Sethu joins Doctor Who as a new companion, continuing a trend of casting actors who have already appeared in the show in minor roles.

Previous cast members like Freema Agyeman and Karen Gillan played minor roles before becoming important characters.

Doctor Who must address Varada Sethu's dual roles and possible connections between her previous appearance and the new companion.

Doctor Who's next companion continues an unlikely casting habit the show has indulged in for nearly twenty years. Although Ncuti Gatwa's Doctor already has a loyal companion in the form of Millie Gibson's Ruby Sunday, the pair are set to be joined by a new ally. Although details about the character are still being kept under wraps, it's been confirmed that Varada Sethu will play the new companion, who is set to step aboard the TARDIS sometime during the events of the next season.

This is far from Sethu's first experience in sci-fi, as she previously played Cinta Kaz in the Star Wars series, Andor. However, "Boom" reveals this companion role won't actually be her first time in the universe of Doctor Who either. If she follows the trend set by previous cast members of Doctor Who, then Sethu's upcoming companion might have a connection to someone the 15th Doctor has already encountered.

Related Who Is Ruby's Mother In Doctor Who? 10 Biggest Theories Doctor Who has introduced Millie Gibson as the Doctor's new companion, Ruby Sunday, and set up a thrilling mystery - who is her mother..?

Varada Sethu Appearing In Doctor Who Season 14 Continues An 18-Year-Old Casting Trend

Multiple Actors Have Played Multiple Parts On Doctor Who

Close

Doctor Who cast Varada Sethu as the Doctor's next companion even after featuring her in a seemingly unrelated minor role — continuing a trend in modern Doctor Who casting. Varada Sethu is currently filming the next batch of episodes of Doctor Who alongside Gatwa and Gibson, playing a new companion. However, Varada Sethu also appears as Mundy Flynn, a Cleric in "Boom." She's also far from the only actor to appear in a minor role in Doctor Who only to be cast as a more important character later on.

Freema Agyeman played Adeola Oshodi in the season 2 episode "Army of Ghost" before returning to play the season 3 companion Martha Jones. Karen Gillan and Peter Capaldi both appeared in season 4's "The Fires of Pompeii" as Mira the Soothsayer and Lobus Caecilius respectively. Both later joined the show full-time, with Gillan playing the 11th Doctor's companion Amy Pond while Capaldi became the 12th Doctor. David Bradley appeared in The Sarah Jane Adventures and Doctor Who before being cast as the modern version of the First Doctor.

Related Doctor Who Season 14 Honors Another Iconic BBC Show In A Way That Floored Me One surprising cameo in Doctor Who Season 14 came from outside of the Doctor Who universe to honor BBC Show in a completely unexpected way.

Doctor Who Season 15 Must Explain Varada Sethu's Dual Roles

There Could Be A Connection Between "Boom" And The Doctor's Next Companion

Custom image by Simone Ashmoore

This trend of Doctor Who casting actors who'd previously appeared in minor roles across the show has actually been addressed in various episodes and incorporated into Doctor Who storylines. Oshodi was revealed to be Martha's cousin, creating a familial bond between the two Agyeman characters. The 12th Doctor was revealed to have subconsciously based his appearance on Capaldi's Lobus, specifically to remind himself of his heroic duties. While there isn't a clear connection between Amy and Mira, Amy's appreciation for ancient Rome became a plot point in season 5, giving them a thematic connection.

However, Varada Sethu joins Doctor Who amid a number of mysteries that might force the show to address her dual roles. Forces like the mysterious Pantheon and the Meep's enigmatic Boss are still potentially at work in the universe, and one of the Doctor's companions seemingly having the same appearance as someone else the Doctor encountered would seem like too much of a coincidence to overlook. Doctor Who has turned minor casting coincidences into important story beats before, and the show shouldn't forget that tendency to connect it's stars to their previous minor roles in the show.