It's been rumoured for a while and is long overdue:
http://www.kasterborous.com/2014/03/...s-next-master/

Fantastic. Forget the Daleks. I rate The Master as the greatest foe. Personally I think its a shame John Simm wont get another go and I doubt we will even get a regeneration scene. But I am sure they have cast someone amazing based on previous history so looking forward to it.

Thanks Sid, though i have never been a big fan of the Master and even less in the modern era - i just hope they get a decent actor with decent direction this time, SImm was beyond awful!

I guess I'm in a minority that doesn't actually want to see The Master back yet. I know it's been years, but for some reason it still feels too soon. I'm happy to see someone else brought back or a new character introduced...given the ability to travel across the whole of time and space of course.

If he has to return here's hoping for a decent actor behind him and perhaps a scaled back story - I don't want a Master finale that's for sure. Getting Simm back for a regeneration would be brilliant though.

Hopefully if the Master does return, he isn't crazy hungry skeleton Master.

I think the point is, The Master should be a similar age to The Doctor...they are adversaries and contemporaries. The Doctor is older - ergo The Master should be older. The original article says Charles Dance could be the man - although that's pure speculation I think.

Charles Dance as the Master would be a very different beast to the John Simm one. It would be more reserved, I feel. Whereas John Simm played him as full on mental, I recon Dance would be more quiet and sinister. An unpredictable, soft spoken genius, a bit like the original Master himself, Roger Delgrado.

To see the Master back, especially played by someone new, would be brilliant I think. No disrespect to John Simm; I loved his Master, and would happily see him come back, but if they're bringing in a new one, at least they're doing it right! This, of course, suggests the Doctor finds Gallifrey in Series 8, or at least we hear from it.

I think Charles Dance would be great. I can imagine a Holmes/Moriaty (orignal novels) feel between Capaldi and Dance, i can imagine them sitting in the TARDIS playing chess whilst Dance explains to the Doctor how hes going to destroy him!

I hope john simms return, even if its just for a regeneration scene

Even if we have a new Master, Simm could still play the role - a multi-Master story is overdue!

I love the Master, always have. My twisted mind would like to see John Sim return, get killed almost immediately and in a fit of machiavellan brilliance regenerate into Peter Capaldi (which ofcourse no one see s). He then traps and confuses Clara as she thinks she is with the Doctor and really is with a devious man with the Doctor's face.

Finall, eafter some time (ie when this story gets stale) , he is found out and then obviously regenerates into a new actor (perhaps Dance).

I think Peter could pull off some great Capaldi vs Capaldi scenes. It would also be a good twist

Ps I never tire of this link


http://youtu.be/fKsIrGUV4ew

Will be interstign to see who the new master is. It is a bit like Sherlock and Moriarty.
They argue and fight but can never defeat eachother. Master will go straight for the doctors heart(s) like he allways does. Clara and Danny had better watch out!.

Thought Simms Master was awful. Did enjoy his response to those who bombarded him with that view on Twitter though...along the lines of "I don't give a s**t!"! I'll never understand why 'fans' think that not enjoying an actor's portrayal of a character gives them the right to abuse them personally. As for a new Master, I'd hope he'll be played very differently. I like my villainy to be more subtle.

I want to see the Doctor and Master as rivals once again, meaning instead of him being the major villain in the finale, I'd like to see him crop up every few episodes to be a side enemy. I also think it would be good to have their characters developed more. We don't need a fan-made "prequel" (with no money, I may add) to allow us to find out more about the Doctor and the Master as young Time Lords on Gallifrey and to find out how they became such bitter rivals.

Doubt this will actually happen though.

I personally also rate the master above the daleks, as with them, it's all just anonymous members of a race. With the master however there's a very personal interplay between him and the doctor, very much based on the shared history they have.

Will be very sad If John simm dosen't get a regeneration scene, but I wouldn't rule it out if he's not spotted on set. Look what a total surprise night of the doctor was. Plus, when talking about night/day of the doctor I seem to remember in one interview that Moffat said he was a 'box set' type of guy who liked to fill in all the regenerations, so hopefully this extends to the master as well

John Simms crazy version was not my favourite portrayal. IMO The Master should be measured controlled calculating and devious. A bit like Victoria from Revenge.

I wonder if he'll play it like the villain in Last Action Hero?

Why? their ever body changing timelords. As long as the actor chosen for the master is an adequate foe for the doctor then it woudn't really matter if capaldi was going up against a 19 year old master.

Personally, I would have liked to have seen John simm be the master across multiple doctor's. Anthony Ainley got to do this in the latter part of classic who, and I think it add's a sort of continuity, when everything else is changing, as much as the daleks and TARDIS do. Having the same master would be like a benchmark for a new doctor. It's sort of like 'let's see how this new guy does against that same old master, compared to the last doctor' whereas if your constantly changing the master, then you miss out on the chance of that comparison

I will be very happy if this is true.

The Master needs to be a counterpoint to the current Doctor. Simm's version may not be popular in all quarters of the fans but to me he was the ideal version to face Tennant's Doctor.

Dance would definitely be the perfect version to face Capaldi.

I would agree with this had Matt Smith gone against the master. However, it will be 5 years since we've seen the Master come Autumn so I think a fresh lick of paint is needed so everyone is on the same level.

LOL. I read the thread title wrong and thought it said '8's return confirmed' and my heart did a little flutter. Oh well. As much as I like John Simm, I didn't care for his final turn as the Master. The character was okay when he was introduced but seemed to slide downhill from there. It seemed they were going for a mirror of reckless 10 and that doesn't really work for a villain. A more settled, calculating Master though ... that has potential.

Great name Bob, huge respect

I have to pick up on the "similar age" comment though, I've heard this used a lot as a necessary reason for John Simm to not play the Master. Anthony Ainley was born in 1932 yet Peter Davison was born in 1951. The Doctor and Master don't have to be of similar age

However, whoever they choose, I'm sure they will be great

I think moffat, and the new master ???? will go to where ever John Simm is working, the regeneration scene could have already been filmed, I assume moffat and the person playing the new master knew a few months back

Simm played the Master like a brat who inherited his rich dad's money and let it go to his head.
Which is a shame as he has generally been good in other programs.
Simm regenerating into Charles Dance would be good.

They should give Julian Bleach a go.

He played a very unsettling Machiavelli in The Bogias.