Doctor Who series 9: Peter Capaldi confirmed to return but Jenna Coleman's future still in doubt

Showrunner Steven Moffat has revealed the latest casting news

Peter Capaldi in the Doctor Who series 8 finale (BBC)

Peter Capaldi is set to return as the 12th incarnation of the Time Lord for the ninth series of Doctor Who.

“Yes, he’s confirmed”, showrunner Steven Moffat told The Hollywood Reporter after an event in London to mark the DVD release of the BBC sci-fi drama’s eighth series.

However, Moffat added that Jenna Coleman, who plays the Doctor’s companion Clara Oswald, has yet to confirm whether she will join the popular sci-fi drama for the next series.

The actress has already fuelled rumours that she may be leaving, by refusing to comment on the speculation bar revealing that “there’s a big surprise coming”.

“We’ve all decided we don’t want anybody to know which way it’s going,” Coleman told Radio Times in September. “If you know I’m in the nest series, or if you know I’m off, you’ll know how the story ends.

“It’s must better that nobody knows which way it’s going to go so that’s where we’re trying to keep it at the moment.”

Coleman will definitely feature in the Doctor Who Christmas special, after a preview shown during Friday’s Children in Need saw her meeting with the Doctor for what might be final closure.

The series finale, which aired last Saturday to an audience of 5.45 million, saw Clara and the Doctor part with a goodbye hug, prompting many to believe that she would not be returning.

From battling Cybermen and Ice Warriors to helping save the Doctor’s home planet of Gallifrey, Coleman has had her share of dramatic adventures since joining the show in 2012 alongside Matt Smith.

Earlier this year, she told The Independent that she was “really happy” in the role of Clara. “It’s one of those jobs that will only happen once – the whole adventure that it brings,” she said. “The key is not to worry about the future and enjoy it.”