Doctor Who’s John Barrowman reveals the tragic fan theory he’s desperate to explore after Captain Jack’s return

JOHN Barrowman has revealed the fan theory he’s keen to tackle on Doctor Who ahead of his eagerly-awaited Christmas special return.

The beloved star will return to the role of Captain Jack Harkness for feature-length episode Revolution of the Daleks on New Year’s Day.


John Barrowman plays beloved character Captain Jack Harkness
John Barrowman is returning for the show’s upcoming feative special

While it remains unclear whether Barrowman will reappear in series 13, he admitted that there’s a lot of ground he’s keen to cover.

“I have such joy when I play him and I’d love to play him now and continue to explore other things with him, like how he becomes the Face of Boe, how his relationship with the Doctor develops to that timeline,” he told The Mirror.

“I think he knows and Jack doesn’t reveal, because whenever you see Jack he’s always like ‘Heyyyy Doctor’ or kissing people,” he added.

Barrowman stressed that the Face of Boe theory – which has been feverishly debated by fans over the years – was unconfirmed, and purely speculative on his part.

“I think – and this is not a writer’s theory, this is my fan theory – that Jack as the Face of Boe knows that he’s going to die soon and he’s educating and leading the Doctor and the Doctor’s come to him for millennia for advice,” he went on.


Face of Boe - Wikipedia
Fans think that Captain Jack becomes the Face of Boe

The festive special will air on New Year's Day
The feature-length episode will air on New Year’s Day

“And Jack knows when he does die there’s a point in time when the Doctor will know – when Jack says ‘they used to call me the Face of Boe’ – that he will realise that’s who it is and he wants that moment.”

The Face of Boe’s origins still remained shrouded in mystery and were touched upon by writer Russell T Davies earlier this year.

Following on from an interactive viewing session od two classic episodes set on New Earth, Davies released a short story about the enigmatic character.

We’ll avoid spoilers here, but Davies promised a “secret that must be told,” so perhaps the big reveal is just around the corner?


Doctor Who writer lifts lid on New Earth sequel adventure with epic 'secret  that must be told'
The iconic character has appeared in a handful of episodes over the years

Captain Jack made a brief comeback in series 12
Barrowman’s involvement in series 13 remains shrouded in mystery

The comments come afer show boss Chris Chibnall revealed how the Captain Jack’s return connects to his cameo in series 12.

Elsewhere, Yaz actress Mandip Gill revealed what was in store for her character after the news that Braley Walsh and Tosin Cole would be leaving the show.

Meanwhile Whittaker recounted how she broke down in tears when she first found out about the double exit.

Doctor Who is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now.