Why WAR actor Archie Renaux Would Make a perfect Doctor Who

After stealing scenes in Sky and HBO’s hit legal drama WAR, Archie Renaux has all the ingredients to become the next Doctor: charisma, emotional depth, comic timing and just the right amount of eccentricity.

Doctor Who needs a new Doctor with a twinkle in his eye, a universe of emotion behind it and the sort of screen presence that can make an ordinary conversation feel like the fate of the galaxy is hanging in the balance. Archie Renaux could be exactly that person.

The British actor has been making an increasingly compelling case for himself with roles across television and film, but it is his performance as ambitious young lawyer Jonathan “Johnny” Warren in WAR that makes the idea particularly exciting. The Sky and HBO legal drama puts Renaux alongside heavyweight performers including Dominic West and Sienna Miller, yet he has the kind of presence that makes you want to keep watching whenever he appears.

That is a useful quality for any actor. For someone playing the Doctor, it could be essential.

With the BBC now looking for a production partner to take Doctor Who into its next chapter, the show has an opportunity to find a new leading actor who can make the Time Lord feel fresh without losing what has always made the character special. The BBC’s tender is seeking a creatively ambitious series intended for transmission in 2028/29, with a decision expected in spring 2027. Nothing has been announced about casting, and there is no indication that Renaux is being considered. But if the people shaping the next era are looking for a compelling candidate, his name deserves to be in the conversation.

WAR has proved Renaux can hold his own with the best

The biggest argument for Renaux is what he is doing in WAR. Created by George Kay, the writer behind Lupin and Hijack, the drama follows two powerful London law firms locked in a battle over a high-profile divorce. Renaux plays Johnny Warren, a young lawyer pulled into a ruthless world where ambition, loyalty and reputation are constantly at odds.

The series has the kind of international reach that can turn a promising performer into a recognisable name. It is a Sky Original in the UK and a co-production with HBO, with distribution across multiple international markets. It has also been renewed for a second season, with production under way and a new legal battle planned.

Against a cast packed with established names, Renaux has a chance to show the range and confidence needed to carry a major series. Johnny is navigating a world where intelligence alone is not enough: he has to read people, adapt quickly and work out when to stand his ground. Those are qualities that would translate beautifully to the Doctor, a character who is forever assessing unfamiliar situations, outthinking enemies and improvising a way out of impossible danger.

The Doctor is rarely the most powerful person in the room in a conventional sense. The character wins through curiosity, nerve, compassion and a knack for seeing possibilities other people miss. Renaux’s work in WAR suggests he can play someone who is quick-thinking and ambitious while still letting the audience glimpse the person beneath the surface.

And while WAR is a grounded legal drama rather than science fiction, that is part of the appeal. A future Doctor should not simply be someone who already looks as though they belong in a spaceship. They need to make the extraordinary feel believable. Renaux has experience in both contemporary drama and genre storytelling, giving him a useful foundation for a role that demands both.

A little Matt Smith, a little David Tennant

There is a particular kind of energy that makes an actor feel right for the Doctor. Think of David Tennant’s restless enthusiasm, his quick-fire delivery and the way a playful grin can turn into devastating seriousness in a heartbeat. Think, too, of Matt Smith’s offbeat physicality, his eccentric charm and the sense that his Doctor is operating several steps ahead of everyone else.

Renaux could occupy an appealing space between those two interpretations.

Like Tennant, he has the potential to bring warmth and momentum to a scene. The Doctor should be someone who can talk their way through a crisis, charm an unlikely ally and make an enemy underestimate them. A good Doctor can be funny without turning into a joke, and heroic without becoming self-important. Renaux has the screen presence to make that balance feel natural.

There is also something of Smith’s unpredictable quality in the kind of Doctor one could imagine Renaux playing. The best versions of the character are not simply eccentric for eccentricity’s sake. Their oddness is part of a brilliant, alien mind that sees the universe differently. One moment the Doctor might be distracted by a tiny detail; the next, they have solved a problem that everyone else thought impossible.

The comparison is not about suggesting Renaux should imitate either actor. In fact, the next Doctor should be distinctly his own. Tennant and Smith left such a strong impression because they found different ways into the same complicated character. Renaux could bring his own combination of mischief, intensity and emotional openness to the role.

Check out his insta for cheeky takes on The Celebrity Traitors and other pop culture, and you’ll see how funny and quick-witted he is.

The ideal casting would let him be funny, strange, formidable and occasionally frightening — sometimes within the same scene.

He can do serious drama and comedy

One of the most important qualities in a Doctor is range. The series can move from a daft historical misunderstanding to a terrifying alien encounter, then finish with an emotionally devastating farewell. The lead has to make all of those tones work without making the transitions feel artificial.

Renaux has already built a varied screen résumé. Audiences may know him from Netflix fantasy series Shadow and Bone, in which he played Malyen “Mal” Oretsev, or from films including Alien: Romulus and the romantic comedy Upgraded. His credits span fantasy, science fiction, action and lighter material, giving him experience in markedly different storytelling styles.

That mix matters. A Doctor who can handle danger but cannot deliver a joke risks making the programme feel heavy. A Doctor who is all jokes may struggle to give the show’s emotional moments the weight they deserve. The magic lies in the contrast: someone who can be delightfully ridiculous one minute and heartbreakingly sincere the next.

Renaux would have room to explore that contrast. His potential Doctor could be cheeky and disarming, perhaps using humour to put people at ease or to unsettle an adversary. But when the situation turns serious, the performance would need to reveal the ancient sadness and moral certainty beneath the charm.

That tonal flexibility is one of the reasons Tennant and Smith remain such popular reference points for fans. Both could make the Doctor feel like the most entertaining person in the room, then remind viewers that this seemingly playful traveller has lived through unimaginable loss. Renaux has the opportunity to bring a different flavour to that same emotional duality.

Charisma is not optional in the TARDIS

The Doctor spends much of the series meeting strangers, winning over companions and facing down creatures that may be considerably more powerful than they are. The role depends on charisma — not simply good looks or a confident voice, but the ability to make people believe that following this eccentric stranger into a blue box is a sensible decision.

Renaux has the kind of screen presence that could make that invitation convincing. His character in WAR is placed among formidable professionals and high-stakes personalities, a setting in which he must make an impression without relying on the grand theatricality of a science-fiction hero. That grounded quality could be valuable for a Doctor who feels accessible as well as extraordinary.

There is also an opportunity to give the character a distinctive physical style. Every Doctor has their own rhythms: the way they walk into a room, the way they tilt their head when an idea takes hold, the way they go still when something genuinely threatens them. Renaux could develop a recognisable set of mannerisms without leaning too heavily on the familiar gestures of his predecessors.

Costume would be part of the fun, too. The best Doctor outfits are memorable because they feel like an extension of the character rather than a uniform. Renaux could suit a contemporary, slightly unconventional look — something practical enough for running down corridors, but individual enough to make the silhouette instantly recognisable. He’d feel very 2028 – or whenever the show is actually coming back.

Most importantly, his mischivious charisma would help establish the relationship between the Doctor and their next companion. The show works best when travelling in the TARDIS feels like both an adventure and an invitation to see the world differently. The audience needs to understand why someone would risk everything to join the Doctor. A magnetic lead is the first step.

His science-fiction experience is another advantage

Casting Renaux would not mean asking him to make his first leap into the fantastic. His role in Shadow and Bone introduced him to an expansive fantasy world, while Alien: Romulus placed him within one of science fiction’s most recognisable and demanding universes.

Those projects are different from Doctor Who, of course. The show has its own tone, its own mythology and its own relationship with the audience. But experience in genre productions can help an actor understand how to perform against effects, sell an unfamiliar environment and keep a character emotionally grounded when the world around them becomes surreal.

That is particularly important for the Doctor. The actor cannot simply react to a monster or a spectacular set. They have to make the audience care about what it means, whether that means confronting a terrifying threat, discovering a civilisation on the edge of extinction or finding kindness in a creature everyone else has dismissed as a monster.

Renaux could bring a grounded intensity to those encounters, making the Doctor feel like a real person even when the story is at its most fantastical.

A Doctor who can be young, old and unknowable

One of the most appealing aspects of casting a relatively young actor is the possibility of playing with the Doctor’s contradictions. The character can look youthful and behave impulsively, yet carry centuries of memories and grief. That tension is central to the role, and it gives an actor plenty to explore.

Renaux, born in 1997, is at a stage in his career where he could plausibly grow with the part. A long-running role like the Doctor is not just about delivering one brilliant season. It asks an actor to develop a character over time, finding new shades of the same personality as companions come and go and the consequences of past adventures catch up with them.

His previous work in ensemble casts could also help. The Doctor must be the centre of the story without swallowing everyone around them. The companions need their own ambitions, fears and personalities, and the lead has to make room for those stories while maintaining the programme’s momentum.

A Renaux-led era could lean into the idea of a Doctor who is outwardly confident but privately haunted, a quick-witted traveller who is more vulnerable than they first appear. That is only one possible interpretation, but it is the sort of character tension that can sustain a compelling performance across multiple seasons.

The timing could be right for a fresh face

Doctor Who is approaching a significant moment. After the end of its partnership with Disney+ for the most recent seasons, the BBC has confirmed its commitment to the programme and is seeking a production partner for its next run. The tender calls for a multi-episode series, including specials, intended for transmission in 2028/29, with the BBC expecting to decide on the successful bid in spring 2027.

The process is about more than choosing an actor. A production team, creative vision and approach to the series will need to come together before any new era can take shape. The BBC’s brief emphasises contemporary ambition, strong emotional storytelling, high-concept science fiction and distinctive companions whose own lives and journeys matter.

Those requirements make casting especially important. The next Doctor will need to appeal to existing fans while giving lapsed viewers and newcomers a reason to tune in. A recognisable star can help, but a performer with room to grow into the role can be just as attractive. Renaux offers a promising combination: a growing profile, experience across film and television, and a recent high-profile drama that puts him alongside internationally known co-stars.

There is no public evidence that he has been approached for the part, and the tender does not mean the BBC has announced a casting shortlist. But with the next production era still taking shape, it is a perfectly reasonable moment for fans to imagine who might take the controls of the TARDIS.

Why Archie Renaux could be the Doctor we need

The strongest argument for Renaux is not that he resembles a previous Doctor, or that his career has followed a particular route. It is that he has the ingredients to make the role his own.

He has experience in high-stakes drama, a background in science-fiction and fantasy, and a screen presence that could suit the Doctor’s blend of confidence, vulnerability and eccentricity. His work in WAR gives audiences a chance to see him operating within a prestigious ensemble, while his wider credits suggest he is comfortable moving between genres.

There is no single formula for playing the Doctor. The role needs an actor who can make a ridiculous situation feel thrilling, a frightening moment feel genuinely dangerous and an emotional goodbye feel like a loss. It needs someone who can lead the adventure while making the audience feel that the universe is still full of things worth discovering.

Archie Renaux could bring all of that — with a mischievous glint, a quick mind and a hint of the Tennant-Smith magic, without simply copying either man.

The TARDIS is waiting for its next pilot. If the BBC wants a Doctor with charisma, range and room to surprise us, Archie Renaux would be a very exciting name to consider.

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