Heads up, Whovians: The Doctor is making a house call to Phoenix Fan Fusion 2020 in May.
Organizers of the four-day pop-cultural event at the Phoenix Convention Center have announced that Christopher Eccleston, the actor who played the ninth version of the famed Time Lord, will be a special guest.
Fantastic!
Square Egg Entertainment, the local company behind Fan Fusion, revealed the news on social media on Wednesday, which was quickly met with glee from fans of the event.
Eccleston starred in the first season of Doctor Who after its 2005 revival. He’s credited as one of the factors behind the legendary science fiction show’s resurgence but left after one season because of behind-the-scenes issues with the show’s producers.
Eccleston distanced himself from the role (and cons in general) for more than a decade before appearing at geek events in Europe and the U.S. in 2018.
The Doctor isn’t the only geek-friendly gig the British-born actor played. He was Malekith in Thor: The Dark World, Major Henry West in 28 Days Later, and Claude Rains on an episode of Heroes. Outside of geekdom, Eccleston's had an illustrious career as a leading man and character actor.
Eccleston's appearance won't be the first time one of the actors behind The Doctor has appeared at the con or one of its spin-off events. In December 2014, Colin Baker and Paul McGann, who respectively played the sixth and eighth incarnations of the character, came to now-defunct Phoenix Fan Fest in Glendale.
Eccleston is scheduled to appear on Saturday, May 23, at Phoenix Fan Fusion 2020. Other special guests that have been announced for the event, which takes place from Thursday, May 21, to Sunday, May 24, at Phoenix Convention Center, are Felicia Day, Clark Gregg, Kate Mulgrew, and Billy West.
Like every other Fan Fusion special guest, Eccleston will participate in a Q&A session (which is free to attend with paid admission to the event) and will be available for autographs and photos (for an extra cost). Check the schedule in the coming weeks for more details.
Phoenix Fan Fusion is scheduled to take place from Thursday, May 21, to Sunday, May 24, at the Phoenix Convention Center. Hours vary. Daily admission is currently $20 to $45, and a full membership is $75.