Exciting Doctor Who Update: Matt Smith’s Original Villain Returns, Portrayed by Olivia Colman

There are tantalizing hints that Doctor Who may soon feature the enigmatic Prisoner Zero once again. This creature, introduced in the series as the first adversary Matt Smith’s Eleventh Doctor faced after his regeneration, boasts a unique appearance reminiscent of both an eel and a piranha. However, it predominantly took on human form in the iconic episode “The Eleventh Hour”during Season 5.

Interestingly, the character was originally brought to life by none other than Olivia Colman, who featured in her pre-Oscar days when she was widely recognized for her role in the sitcom Peep Show. Following her Academy Award win for The Favourite, Colman’s rise in Hollywood has been meteoric. The recent unveiling of a cryptic clue ahead of Doctor Who‘s Season 15 suggests that her character could be gearing up for a dramatic return, setting the stage for a thrilling confrontational encounter with the latest incarnation of the Doctor.

Prisoner Zero Has Been Released: Can They Return To Doctor Who?

A Huge Miscarriage Of Justice Has Occurred

Prisoner Zero looking at the Doctor in Doctor Who.

Recently shared on Doctor Who’s official X account, a notable tweet highlighted a newspaper headline that Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor will read in the upcoming Christmas special titled “Joy to the World.”The front page notably declares that Prisoner Zero has been exonerated. Following the events of “The Eleventh Hour,”where Prisoner Zero was last seen being apprehended by the Atraxi, it appears the character may have turned a new leaf, suggesting their reintegration into society could be on the horizon.

This unexpected storyline development is likely to carry more significance than merely serving as a nostalgic callback to a relatively obscure villain from years past. With Prisoner Zero’s newfound innocence, their potential quest for vengeance against the Doctor, the figure who originally played a part in their capture, becomes a compelling narrative possibility.

ð&Yuml;“£ð&Yuml;¦&dagger; Duck pond mystery solved, read all about it! Get the Whoniverse headlines in The Timey Wimey ð&Yuml;—\u017eï¸\u008f #DoctorWho pic.twitter.com/8YDSNw26PH — Doctor Who (@bbcdoctorwho) December 16, 2024

Given the peculiar nature of the news article suggesting Prisoner Zero’s innocence, this may be more than a random shoutout to a bygone villain. The headline’s focus on exoneration hints at possible deeper story arcs for future episodes. Although a simple tweet would typically be insufficient for such speculation, the connection to the evolving plot of Doctor Who in the upcoming Christmas special cannot be overlooked.

Doctor Who Never Actually Revealed What Prisoner Zero Wanted

Prisoner Zero Is A Surprisingly Mysterious Character

Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill as Amy Pond and Rory Williams in hospital in Doctor Who.

Initially, a return of Prisoner Zero in Season 15 may feel out-of-place; however, a deeper analysis reveals significant unanswered questions surrounding the character. Intriguingly, Doctor Who has never divulged the reasons behind Prisoner Zero’s incarceration by the Atraxi. The episode “The Eleventh Hour”refrains from specifying any alleged crimes, a mystery that remains unsolved in the broader Doctor Who universe.

According to the new newspaper article, it appears that Prisoner Zero underwent trial by the Icelandic Alliance—a political entity noted by Tom Baker’s Fourth Doctor in the classic “The Talons of Weng-Chiang,”which is set in the year 5000. The plot thickens further, as Doctor Who has similarly left unaddressed the ultimate objectives of Prisoner Zero, aside from a desire to flee.

Evidence suggests that Prisoner Zero possessed knowledge of pivotal elements such as the Pandorica, the phrase “silence will fall,”and the Doctor themselves—indicating that this character may have been more critical in the story’s overarching narrative than previously realized. Thus, the return of Prisoner Zero bears the promise of unearthing significant plot developments in forthcoming episodes.

How Doctor Who Can Bring Back Olivia Colman As Prisoner Zero

“The Eleventh Hour”Didn’t Make The Most Of Olivia Colman

Looking at the prospect of a return for Prisoner Zero also raises intriguing possibilities for Olivia Colman herself. In a 2019 interview with RadioTimes, former showrunner Steven Moffat reflected that the series had, in hindsight, underutilized Colman’s talents. If Prisoner Zero were to resurface in future episodes, there exists a convenient narrative tool to explain the character’s return to any previous physical states—potentially affording Colman a much more substantial role than before. Colman’s scheduling challenges, however, would be a significant consideration after so many years.

The combination of the unresolved mysteries surrounding Prisoner Zero and the opportunity to feature Olivia Colman creates compelling reasons for the character’s return. With the latest revelation that Prisoner Zero has now been freed—now referred to simply as “Zero”—the stage is set for Russell T Davies to integrate this character into the evolving landscape of Doctor Who.

Sources: RadioTimes, Doctor Who official X account

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