Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa’s Sonic Screwdriver has fans praising ‘craftmanship’ of new design

Ncuti Gatwa’s Sonic Screwdriver has been revealed, as the actor prepares to take over the lead role in the BBC’s Doctor Who.

The Sex Education star will officially step into the shoes of the legendary Time Lord over the festive period, following three special episodes in which he will appear alongside David Tennant, who played the 10th incarnation of the Doctor between 2005 to 2010.

While details about the 30-year-old’s tenure as the Doctor have been largely kept under wraps, fans have been given a few hints about Ncuti’s take on the Time Lord.

The latest is the Fourteenth Doctor’s Sonic Screwdriver, a powerful piece of handheld technology used by the character.

In a clip shared on social media, fans were shown the metallic device, which features a cracked porcelain design, with a blue light at the end reminiscent of a Dalek’s eye and four surrounding blue lights.

Fans were delighted by the design, with one writing: “Wow, this design looks really cool. Looks like a combination of the Tenth Doctor’s sonic with its own unique stuff.”

“Oh my gosh this is cool,” another echoed. “You can see elements of 10, 11 and 12 all in one and it’s making me excited to see it in action.”

“An absolute beautiful piece of craftsmanship. I love the gold and marble aesthetic,” another fan wrote.

Earlier this week, character posters were released for Gatwa’s Doctor and his assistant Ruby Sunday (Millie Gibson). In the picture, Gatwa wears a red leather trenchcoat, with a red and blue striped shirt and blue trousers beneath.

Speaking in a recent interview with Rolling Stone UK, the Rwandan-Scottish actor – who also has a key role in the forthcoming Barbie movie – opened up about picking his costume for the Doctor.

“The day [showrunner Russell T Davies] invited me to meet everybody, they asked me what sort of costume I wanted. I showed them this Ralph Lauren collection that was in partnership with Historically Black Colleges in America,” he said.

“I love those pieces, they’re so preppy and so Black… The Doctor has travelled all of time and space; they’re going to have a sick wardrobe.”

While fans were given a new look at Gatwa and Gibson in character, posters were also released teasing the return of David Tennant and Catherine Tate to the show.

Before Gatwa takes over, Tennant will return to the Tardis for three special episodes to mark the 60th anniversary of Doctor Who in November.

Tennant originally played the Tenth Doctor from 2005 to 2010, returning for the 50th anniversary special in 2013. Tate played one of his companions, Donna Noble.

In Jodie Whittaker’s final episode as the 13th Doctor, which aired in October 2022, the Time Lord didn’t regenerate into Gatwa as expected. Rather, the Doctor turned back into Tennant, who looked confused and repeatedly asked: “What?”

Doctor Who returns in November on BBC One.