Doctor Who Peter Capaldi
Cast member Peter Capaldi is interviewed at a press line for "Doctor Who" during the 2015 Comic-Con International Convention in San Diego, California July 9, 2015. Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

“Doctor Who” has a new companion, Peter Capaldi confirmed. The long-running UK series has found a replacement for Jenna Coleman, whose character Clara Oswald left the show last season, and it’s someone who is unlike the other companions.

Capaldi, who plays the twelfth Doctor, told Brazilian website Omelete (via NME) that he has already started working with this unnamed new companion.

“We’ve been doing a bit of work together already,” he said. He added that unlike the Impossible Girl (a.k.a. Clara), this companion is different in the sense that this one doesn’t have a lot of history with the Gallifreyan Time Lord. Clara was with the Doctor from his very first incarnation, guiding him on which TARDIS to steal, and with his subsequent incarnations, basically helping him with decisions even if he didn’t know or want it.

“Clara had prior knowledge of the Doctor. It was conceived as a human connected to your timeline, and so had access to the cosmic nature of the Doctor. She understood a little about how he was. And as she was already with Matt [Smith], she knew the Daleks and the TARDIS. Now we have someone who knows very little about the Doctor.”

The 57-year-old Scottish actor previously told Radio Times he did not want a male companion in fear that the other guy would be given all the action.

“Game of Thrones” star Maisie Williams is out of the running as well. She told Bang Showbiz last month that she would not return to the show anymore. She played Ashildr, the Viking girl who became immortal after she was resurrected by the Doctor with alien technology. In the last episode of season 9, Ashildr, who now goes by the name of “Me,” has gone on an adventure with Clara in their own stolen TARDIS.

British actress Rakhee Thakrar, known for her role in the soap “EastEnders,” was also rumoured to try out for the role of the new companion, though it was too early to tell then if she indeed got it.

Since the show was resurrected in 2005, most of the previous companions had been in their early 20s when they joined the time-travelling alien. Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) was just 19 when she joined the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) in his adventures, while Martha Jones (Freema Agyeman) was about 20 years old when she travelled through time and space with the Tenth Doctor (David Tennant). Amy Pond (Karen Gillan) was about 19 when the Eleventh Doctor (Smith) returned for her. Donna Noble (Catherine Tate) was perhaps the only major companion who was above 30 years old when she packed her bags to travel in the TARDIS.

The series is expected to get someone in the same age range as most of the companions, but with “Doctor Who,” the unexpected usually prevail.

Capaldi previously admitted he was asked to stay after Steven Moffat’s exit. Moffat will hand over his responsibilities as showrunner to Chris Chibnall after season 10 airs in 2017.

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