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‘Doctor Who’ Season 10 Trailer Hints At Capaldi's Exit

Between the return of the Mondasian Cybermen, a possible watery take on the Daleks, and a gay traveling companion, the upcoming 10th series of Doctor Who is breaking all kinds of new ground. It’s also, unfortunately, the last time fans will have an entire season to enjoy Peter Capaldi’s curmudgeonly (and Scottish) 12th Doctor, as the esteemed actor announced this series and the next Christmas special would be his final regular appearances as the time-traveling alien. Emphasis on “next Christmas special” here, as Capaldi won’t officially bow out until the annual special episode airs December 25, 2017. So why is the latest trailer for series 10, which premieres April 15th on BBC America, already teasing Capaldi’s regeneration? In the final seconds of the short 30-second trailer, the 12th Doctor is seen clutching his chest while holding onto some kind of surface. He looks pained, out of breath even, and just before the shot fades to black his hand begins emitting a familiar, golden glow. As alarming as this scene may be, Doctor Who fans must remind themselves that it’s from a short trailer, and therefore taken wildly out of context. As the Radio Times notes, the Christmas special has yet to be filmed to the likelihood of this being Capaldi’s actual regeneration is small. Besides, previous Doctors David Tennant and Matt Smith both experienced regeneration-like events in their respective runs before their characters ultimately left the series. (Tennant’s 10th Doctor funneled the regeneration energy into a sliced-off limb, while Smith’s 11th Doctor was resuscitated by River Song.) In other words, the show ain’t over yet.