It seems that as soon as filming hits the ground for Doctor Who that the gossip floodgates open for the series. I’ve heard some doozies in my time, but this one (if real) would actually be quite interesting. Express.co.uk and Radio Times are reporting of rumors that Benedict Cumberbatch from Sherlock (and the forthcoming Star Trek 2 and The Hobbit) could have landed the role as The Master for the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who.

Because Cumberbatch is celebrated for his Holmes role in “that other” Steven Moffat series, his name has popped up in the past as potentially appearing on Doctor Who.

According to “a source” and “programme insiders,” Express posted this report:

Righto – so let’s take this rumor not with a grain, but a boulder of salt.

Following the articles from Express and Radio Times, the Whovians at the Gallifrey Base forums have been responding with solid doubts about it, as Express has been wrong about Who news before. It’s also especially early days, seeing as production only began last week.

That being said, it is likely that Cumberbatch might make a guest appearance in Doctor Who at some point… but as the Master? Doubtful… with his work on Sherlock, and now with him working on The Hobbit and Star Trek 2 it seems like his international film career is developing, the scheduling may be impossible for him to be a ‘regular’ villain such as The Master. Perhaps as a character on a few episodes, but at this point I’m just speculating.

Would it be worth it? I say, yes – Cumberbatch is a remarkable actor. At the risk of sounding too much of a hipster, I saw him well before his Sherlock days in To The Ends Of The Earth – which is a particularly boring story, that was made exceptionally interesting by the scope and passion of Cumberbatch’s performance alone. This is a man who is going to go far with his career, with total respect for his craft, and consequently would be welcomed by Doctor Who fans for this fact alone.

So I leave it to you, folks – it’s your call… the rumors are exactly that: rumors.

But having said that: Would you like to see the fan favorite lead actor from Sherlock make an appearance in Doctor Who? And if so, who should he be?

[Source: Express.co.uk]