Why The New Doctor On 'Doctor Who' Isn't A Woman, According To Steven Moffat

When Matt Smith announced his "Doctor Who" departure, the question immediately became: "Who will be the next Doctor?" Many quickly followed with "Will the new Doctor be a woman?" and "Will the new Doctor be a minority?"

All those questions have been answered: The new star of "Doctor Who" is Peter Capaldi, a white male. "It's an incendiary combination: one of the most talented actors of his generation is about to play the best part on television," "Doctor Who" showrunner Steven Moffat said when Capaldi was announced. "Peter Capaldi is in the TARDIS!"

But the question still remains: Why couldn't the new Doctor have been a woman? According to Moffat, it just wasn't the right fit.

“I didn't feel enough people wanted it,” he said, according to The Telegraph. “Oddly enough, most people who said they were dead against it -- and I know I’ll get into trouble for saying this -- were women, saying, 'No, no, don’t make him a woman.'"

This isn't the first time the "Doctor Who" woman question has been addressed. In a recent interview with IMDb, Moffat admitted that a female Doctor wasn't in the cards.

"I don’t think that would be a sensible thing to do, no," Moffat said when asked if the casting could be gender-blind. "I think you’d have to make a decision on the gender before you approached it."

Many, including high-profile fans like Helen Mirren, had hoped the new star would shake things up. "Doctor Who" writer Neil Gaiman took to his blog to discuss the casting and answer fan questions about it. Gaiman said it wasn't quite the right time for a woman to take on the role, but it was a missed opportunity to not have a minority in the role. "Does that mean I’m disappointed by Peter? No, just excited to see what kind of Doctor he makes," he wrote.

"Doctor Who" returns for its 50th anniversary special on Saturday, November 23 on BBC America.