Doctor Who showrunner Russell T. Davies has explained how Varada Sethu’s recent casting relates to that of Freema Agyeman’s back in the early 2000s. Sethu has been cast in the show’s upcoming second season alongside fifteenth Doctor Ncuti Gatwa and returning companion Ruby Sunday, played by Millie Gibson. Sethu’s casting was quite the surprise to fans of the recent series, as the actor featured heavily as a guest star in the series’ third episode, “Boom,” playing Mundy Flynn, an Ordained Anglican Marine.
“Boom” featured a tense storyline, written by ex-showrunner Steven Moffat. The episode saw Gatwa’s Doctor trapped on a land mine on a planet at war as time ticked away, while Gibson’s companion sought to save her time-travelling friend. Sethu’s character Mundy Flynn and her fellow Anglican Marines were inhabiting the planet and fighting a war against the Kastarions, an alien race that they believe live underground. As The Doctor finds himself trapped on the Kastarion device, Ruby Sunday and Mundy Flynn must work together in hopes that they can disarm it in time.
What Do the Casting of Sethu’s Companion and Matha Jones Have in Common?
Freema Agyeman, who played Martha Jones in Season 3 of new-Who. Speaking to SFX Magazine on Sethu’s casting, Davies confirmed that the actress will not be returning as Mundy Flynn, saying, “I think we might as well just be simple with this, because we’ve already said she’s not coming back as Mundy Flynn.” Davies continued:
“It’s one of those very simple situations, like with Freema [Agyeman, who appeared in Army Of Ghosts before being cast as Martha Jones]: when you cast a great actor, you need a new companion . I was watching, like, the 15th edit of Boom, loving her. Every time I watch her, I think, ‘ God, she’s brilliant .’ I literally think she’s brilliant. I used to watch her thinking, ‘God, what a shame we can’t work with her again.’’
Davies explained his thought process when casting Sethu for the second time, saying, “I was thinking, ‘Should we go back to the 51st century, could we meet her again?’ and then I suddenly went, ‘Oh, let’s just cast her again. We’ve done that before. Lovely.’ The relief that went around the entire production and the BBC, everyone went, ‘Oh, great.’ It was the most instant ‘yes’ you’ve ever seen.” Davies continued, confirming that fans of Doctor Who can expect something new from Sethu’s character. He said, “We had a great meeting. She was kind of amazed and delighted. Lovely. Good stuff ahead. Completely new character, again, a completely new story, and that’s a great new story that will run across eight episodes.”