Gabriel Woolf opens up about how he reacted to returning to voice his classic Doctor Who antagonist Sutekh the Destroyer 48 years after the character debuted. The Osiran antagonist was the main villain of Tom Baker’s 1975 story “Pyramids of Mars”, which saw the alien attempt to break free of his imprisonment to wreak deadly vengeance on those who sealed him away. After a season-long plot, Doctor Who season 14’s penultimate episode revealed Sutekh had returned to bring death to the Doctor and claim the TARDIS.
Ahead of Doctor Who season 14’s high-stakes finale, Woolf opens up to the BBC about his reprisal of Sutekh. While viewers had been eager to see Sutekh return and had let Woolf know across various convention appearances, the actor admitted that the character’s new story surprised him. Check out Woolf’s response below:
I was over the moon, delighted and thrilled. It was wonderful. The fans have always said ‘Oh you must come back!’, and I always said back ‘It’s not up to me!’ – and now it’s happened. Extraordinary…. No. it’s been 48 years since we did it so I thought it was pretty unlikely. It was a big surprise but a good one!
What Is Sutekh’s Doctor Who Legacy?
Sutekh Originally Only Appeared In A Four-Part Story
Despite it being a standalone arc with a villain who would not return to screens until 2024, “Pyramids of Mars” is a highly celebrated story with a notable place in Doctor Who history. Bringing gothic horror to the Whoniverse and interweaving it with the series’ sci-fi elements, the four-part serial received critical acclaim and reappraisal since its release, as critics celebrated its faithfulness to Hammer inspirations and stellar character work. “Pyramids of Mars” also held the status of the highest-viewed Doctor Who story with its 1976 omnibus broadcast until “City of Death’s” unique airing circumstances allowed it to surpass it.
However, none of this may have been possible without the development placed upon Sutekh himself. Alongside Woolf’s performance, Sutekh is quickly characterized as a threat far beyond the Time Lord’s typical capabilities, bypassing the TARDIS’ defenses to leave terrifying apparitions, bringing the Doctor to his knees with telepathy, and affecting history to the point that entire timelines would be altered. With such incredible abilities and terrifying displays, Sutekh has had a unique grip on classic Doctor Who fans, and establishing him as a powerful god other powerful villains fear has helped quickly establish him as something terrifying to newcomers.
While Woolf had made other appearances in Doctor Who by reprising his role in audio dramas and providing the voice of series 2 The Beast, his television return as Sutekh has been highly desired by viewers. Though he was a one-time villain, Sutekh left a great impact, and his Egyptian mythology inspirations made him an ideal foe for Russell T Davies’ fantasy-focused era. While the Osiran’s return may have taken Woolfe by surprise, it is clear that he is glad to have faced Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor for a surprising twist return.