If Peter Capaldi stays on into season 11 , and Moffatt has a xmas special between series 10 and Chibnall's first series then i could easily see matt Smith and Karen Gillan being back. It will be 4 years by then since Smith left, the same time between Tennant leaving and the 50th

What your saying is basically what I think you are supposed to think as to why it happened in-verse, but all I'm saying is that in the real world I feel that the only reason that the reset was written in at all is because Moffat had to write a quick way out of the aged appearance because for some reason he couldn't bare to see him change as the older version. I don't think there would have been any mention of anything like a new regeneration cycle reset if Matt hadn't been aged beforehand.

Personally, for me it made the whole thing feel disjointed. One minute he's seemingly regenerating in spectacular style on the clock tower while managing to stick it to the daleks at the same time, then the next, hes back to normal in the TARDIS to say a few words, then have the quickest, most undramatic, blink-and-you-miss-it change he has ever had.

Had Moffat not been bothered about some apparent need to put him back to normal for the change, and had just let the whole regeneration go through on the clock tower, it would have possibly been the coolest regeneration the Doctor had ever had - The doctor, defiant at the end, killing Daleks to his current body's last breath. With the nonsense of the reset though, the whole thing lost all the momentum it built up, and the actual change just seemed like they'd ran out of budget for regeneration effects after using them on the clock tower.

From a Whoniverse point of view is there any reason why the Doctor can't be Smith again considering the Doctor 'regenerated' into Capaldi as a 'reminder' of Pompeii? Indeed that pure idea means the Doctor could regenerate into anyone from the Whoinverse as a 'reminder' - Billie Piper, Noel Clarke, Catherine Tate, John Barrowman...

Time Lords have had the ability to choose what they look like.

I can't believe this has gained as much attention as it has. Like hell this would ever happen. Not a chance.

What an insult to Capaldi it would be if they brought back the younger bloke who did the job before he did. I feel sorry for the man, I really do; it's like he doesn't even exist sometimes, what with all this talk of who's coming next and now people in the media are even discussing bringing back the previous Doctor all while he's currently working hard on the next series.

Just let Peter be The Doctor for 5 minutes. Christ.

Agree completely.

It really is the press building an entire story from an off-the-cuff remark.

Apart from anything else, I cannot see how the show would benefit from a former Doctor returning full-time to the role. I'm a huge Tennant fan but still would prefer a new actor each time.

A few guest appearances from the likes of McGann, Ecclestone, Tennant and Smith would be great though (anniversaries etc) but that's all.

I think it would work great as a one off kind of thing as detailed below but other than that only for anniversary type specials IMO.

Maybe have MISSIE change history somehow after commenting on how 'unplayful' the capaldi doctor is. CApaldi and the assistant are trying to stop her but fail. Capaldi morphs back into Matt smith but doesn't realise it. Only the assistant and MISSIE notice. Of course the latter is happy, for whatever diabolical reason.

This starts a multi story episode where the assistant is trying to convince the dr he has changed. Resulting in a MISSIE/ dr showdown with the dr having to sacrifice himself by restoring time and in doing so once again becomes capaldi.

I would like to see him come back in a one-off maybe but that's it.

The show has to move on and be constantly evolving. It's not going to do that if it goes backwards and have a former Doctor come back, no matter which one it is.

Part of the joy of a New Doctor is seeing how he is in the role and what he brings to the show. The anticipation of something new, you wouldn't get that with a full time returning Doctor, though I guess in itself it would be event TV.

There isn't a chance in hell that they'd bring Matt Smith back on full time, and I can't imagine it would be something that would catch on so much as aggravate a vast majority of viewers.

This is the kind of rumour stemming from some misguided belief that nobody likes Peter Capaldi in the role and that the entire crew are eager to get rid of him, though.

If they are going to bring back a former Doctor then I feel that it should be Paul McGann. There is so much unfulfilled potential there. Much as I liked Matt Smith as the Doctor what I would really like to see is more Paul McGann TV adventures.

There's no reason they couldn't have a Gallifrey story where the Doctor enters the Matrix (yet again) and it projects his former selves. Because it's a Matrix projection, they can appear in their current forms, allowing previous Doctors to return despite looking older - all blamed on the Matrix using his bio data extract to create these virtual Doctors rather than extracting them from history.

That said, I would love to see Matt's Doctor again in the future. I love Matt as an actor and there are times when I really enjoyed his Doctor. I would love to see him return just for a one-off under the new/a future show-runner.

My favourite 11th Doctor story remains Death of the Doctor from the Sarah Jane Adventures. His interaction with Sarah Jane and Jo was just lovely, and with the kids too.

Firstly, I just feel that its Moffat doing his showrunner thing and trying to whip up some free publicity for the show as it ain't gonna be on telly for quite a while.

No critcism intended as he has done an excellent job of drumming up publicity whenever he could - just look how the show has grown in America.

And as for Matt coming back - I don't understand the talk about wearing prostestics (however it's spelt) or not - follow the idea given when Tom Baker returned as the Curator and expand on that by having a new regeneration - simples.

But it really is just talk and nothing more than a wistful desire to return to something that was fun to do at the time.

Carry on chaps

Moffat mentioned that Matt misses Who in a months old interview...Matt is on record saying he'd love to return and don his bow tie again some day.

'Hack' that together...we have a non story!

Why? Given the endless stream of work Smith has had since leaving the show in 2013.

Oh...you.

Royal Court at present. Good reviews for American Psycho. It ain't all telly and films for a creative actor, ya know.

Some may but the Doctor never has before

Didn't he literally choose what he'd look like right now? As in Capaldi.

So his career hasent been that great since he left then?

Come to think of it, he hasn't really done anything since he left.

If they have a good story for him why not ?. In meantime look forward to see him as a young Prince Philip in the Crown on Net Flix opposite Claire Foy's Elizabeth the second.

I really wouldn't worry about Matt's career. He's about to star in the most expensive Netflix drama ever, for the next six years.

Um...Flesh Doctor, anyone? Last we saw him he said he wasn't sure if he'd survive (and yes, went "splat")...but maybe he un-splatted?

I really don't understand why anyone who is at all interested in the truth (rather than hyped-up, sensationalized stories) would ever buy any of our UK tabloids.

Of course Matt may come back... in specials, not as the full-time Doctor.