The first trailer for the upcomingDoctorWhospinoffThe War Between the Land and the Seahas been revealed, showing a drastic redesign of a classic foe as the Doctor’s allies are left to defend humanity. As part of Disney+ and the BBC’s co-production agreement, a spinoff was commissioned that focuses on UNIT tackling the threat of reemerging Sea Devils in the Doctor’s absence. While no release date has been given,The War Between the Land and the Seawill take place following the exit of Ncuti Gatwa’s Fifteenth Doctor andregeneration into Billie Piper’s Sixteenth Doctor.
Following the release of season 15’s finale,Doctor Whohasreleased the first trailer forThe War Between The Land and Sea. The trailer introduces audiences to Barclay, played by Russell Tovey, and the Sea Devil Salt, played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, as the latter people’s reemergence from the oceans throws Earth into a crisis and impending war only they can prevent. Alongside the two new leading characters, the trailer reintroduces audiences to the personnel of UNIT, led by Jemma Redgrave’s Kate Stewart alongside Ruth Madeley’s Shirley Ann Bingham and Alexander Devrient’s Colonel Ibrahim. Check out the trailer below:
What The War Between The Land and Sea Reveals About The Sea Devil’s Return
The Trailer Teases A Repeat Of A Past Classic Monster’s Modern Redesign
While only a brief glimpse atthe Whoniverse’s first major spinoff since 2016’sClass, one detail that will spark discussion online aboutThe War Between the Land and the Seais the design of the returning villains. While the Sea Devils already received a redesign in 2022’s “The Legend of the Sea Devils,” the species has seemingly undergone a far more drastic redesign. As seen by Mbatha-Raw’s Salt,the new Sea Devil design is seemingly more humanoidwhen compared to past Sea Devils, presumably to make her an easier character to relate to for more casual viewers.
Though the differences could be explained by the new Sea Devils simply being of a different phenotype of the species, one element in the trailer does seemingly suggestthe redesign may be borrowing ideas from a past classicDoctor Whomonster reimagining. When they returned to the screen in season 5’s “The Hungry Earth/Cold Blood,” the Sea Devil’s close genetic cousins, the Silurians, were also given more humanoid designs, alongside masks that captured their more classic look. As seen by another Sea Devil in the trailer, the beaked appearance of the species may also be explained as being masks.
Our Take On The War Between The Land And The Sea’s First Trailer
Could The Spinoff Provide The Whoniverse With A Standout Side Story?
WithDoctor Who’s future under the current production agreement still in flux,The War Between the Land and Seaspinoffmay be the last production within this era of the franchise. As such, it is unclear what its future may hold, or whether similar spinoffs of this scale could be greenlit should it be a success. Nevertheless,The War Between the Land and Sealooks to be a drastically different production from the rest of the era, as the series has a grounded, more personal tone that could appeal to fans looking for a more mature production.
