It’s Official: Doctor Who and Disney+ Split After Two Seasons

Disney+ will no longer be part of Doctor Who. The streaming service worked with the BBC on the show for two seasons, but now their involvement is ending.

Fans do not need to worry about the Doctor disappearing. A Christmas special written by Russell T. Davies is reportedly scheduled for 2026. There are also plans for a new season of the long-running series.

Disney+ will continue to work with the BBC on a spinoff series called The War Between the Land and the Sea.

The show will follow UNIT, the military group in the Doctor Who universe, as they try to prevent a global war caused by the Sea Devils. Russell Tovey, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jemma Redgrave, and Alexander Devrient are expected to star.

Lindsay Salt, BBC’s director of drama, said, “We’d like to thank Disney+ for being terrific global partners and collaborators over the past two seasons, and for the upcoming ‘The War Between the Land and the Sea.’ The BBC remains fully committed to ‘Doctor Who,’ which continues to be one of our most loved dramas, and we are delighted that Russell T Davies has agreed to write us another spectacular Christmas special for 2026.”

“We can assure fans, the Doctor is not going anywhere, and we will be announcing plans for the next series in due course which will ensure the TARDIS remains at the heart of the BBC.”

The news comes after Ncuti Gatwa’s exit at the end of season 15. The season ended with Gatwa’s Doctor regenerating into Billie Piper, surprising many viewers. Questions about Disney+’s future role had left fans uncertain about the show’s direction.

Season 15 has seen a drop in viewership. Deadline reported that the first four episodes averaged 3.1 million viewers, down from Gatwa’s first season, which averaged 3.9 million, and well below Jodie Whittaker’s final season, which had around 5 million. The first episode had 3.6 million viewers, but by episode four, the number dropped to 2.8 million.

Some fans and critics suggest the decline may be linked to certain woke storylines, though it is unclear if that is the main reason. The BBC said Gatwa was not fired, but they did not confirm if he left voluntarily. His representatives have not commented.

Doctor Who remains a strong and iconic series despite these changes. Disney+ leaving may affect global streaming exposure, but the BBC has shown it can keep the Doctor on screen for years to come. What do you think about Disney+ stepping away from Doctor Who? Will it hurt the show or keep it grounded on the BBC? Share your thoughts in the comments.