The initial conclusion for Doctor Who's recently aired second season, now ending with Ncuti Gatwa's departure and Billie Piper's surprise appearance, has been corroborated by an actor’s TikTok account from the finale.
Before the finale aired, industry insider Daniel Richtman shared online that the episode originally had a different ending, altered due to Gatwa's decision to leave the lead role, prompting reshoots earlier this year to incorporate his exit.
Richtman’s description of the original finale has now been supported by Sienna-Robyn Mavanga-Phipps, the young actor portraying Poppy, a pivotal character, via her TikTok account.
“The original Doctor Who Season 2 ending, before reshoots, featured the Doctor, Ruby, Belinda, and others at a grand celebration,” Richtman noted. “Susan watched from a distance, setting up a cliffhanger for Season 3.”
“It’s uncertain how much of this remains in the revised ending,” he added.
Mavanga-Phipps’ TikTok, managed by her mother, reposted Richtman’s remarks, hinting at their accuracy to fans.
“Did she film that scene?” one fan asked in a comment viewed by IGN. “Is this legit since you’re sharing it?” another wrote. Mavanga-Phipps’ account liked both comments.
“That finale was a mess,” another fan commented, to which Mavanga-Phipps’ account responded with two crying emojis.
When pressed to share images of the cut ending, Mavanga-Phipps’ account replied: “I wish I could, but an NDA prevents me.”
Mavanga-Phipps’ account further disclosed details of the scrapped plans, confirming fan theories: Poppy, technically the Doctor’s daughter from an alternate reality, was intended to be revealed as Susan’s mother, the Doctor’s granddaughter from the 1960s series.
After years of absence, Susan, portrayed by Carol Ann Ford, made a cameo this season, originally planned to have a larger role in the next season, now paused in production.
“So Poppy was meant to be Susan’s child?” a fan asked on TikTok. “Mother,” Mavanga-Phipps’ account clarified.
“It’s hard to believe we missed out on the ideal ending with Poppy and Susan,” a fan wrote, to which Mavanga-Phipps’ account replied with a laughing emoji.
In press releases and Doctor Who’s behind-the-scenes series Unleashed, Gatwa’s exit reshoots were downplayed, with his final day on set framed as part of the original filming plan.
However, fans following the show’s production believe filming for the season concluded in May 2024, when Gatwa still planned to return for a third season. Reshoots for his exit in the finale occurred in February 2025.
Additional proof of the original finale persists, including a Disney+ promotional image of the Doctor and Belinda dancing at a party, a scene absent from the final episode, likely the celebration Richtman referenced.
Showrunner Russell T Davies has stated Gatwa always intended to stay for his duration in the TARDIS, though the BBC reportedly hoped to have filmed a third season by now. No official renewal has been announced, nor has the continuation of Doctor Who’s Disney+ deal been confirmed.
Billie Piper’s last-minute cameo was filmed in secrecy, later than Gatwa’s exit, as indicated by Unleashed’s recent episode featuring an interview with Piper, noted by host Steffan Powell as an unannounced casting.
This is notable since Unleashed covered the reshoots, including Gatwa’s departure and Jodie Whittaker’s cameo. Piper’s casting may have been finalized even later, with uncertainty surrounding Gatwa’s replacement.
Fans remain unclear if Piper is the next official Doctor, and the ambiguity around her role fuels growing questions about the show’s future.
