Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, David Tennant, Matt Smith... hell, any of them could be considered the definitive Doctor Who. In a world where particular actors are inextricably linked to characters by audiences - Sean Connery as Bond, Christopher Lee as Dracula, Christopher Reeve as Superman - we explore why this happens, and how it affects Doctor Who.

Inspired by the return of Hugh Jackman to the role of Wolverine in 2024's Deadpool 3, we also consider how he may cast a shadow over whoever is cast as his eventual replacement. Is something similar happening with David Tennant's return to Doctor Who? Will the short-term revival of his memorable (definitive?) 2005-2010 run cast a shadow over incoming successor Nchuti Gatwa?

We finish by establishing some rules on what makes a particular performance of such characters definitive, and how this might be applied to Doctor Who. 

But do we name the definitive Doctor Who? Well, click play to find out...

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