Doctor Who fans, wait no more. In a 30-minute BBC Special on Sunday, the identity of the successor to Matt Smith’s 11th Doctor was revealed as none other than Peter Capaldi. Earlier in the week, bets were closed in the UK when the role was all but assumed to have headed his way. At 55, he will be a departure in age from recent Doctors, but a refreshing change in the direction of the program. He will be the oldest actor to portray the Doctor since the first, William Hartnell, who was also 55 at the beginning of the series.
Capaldi’s version of the Doctor won’t regenerate until this Christmas’ special episode, however, there is a chance we might see him in the 50th Anniversary celebration, airing November 23rd, alongside Smith, David Tennant and John Hurt. The 8th season of Doctor Who is set to begin in the Spring of 2014.