‘Doctor Who': 12th Doctor Announcement Coming Late This Summer?

A few weeks ago, news that 'Doctor Who' star Matt Smith would officially step down from the iconic role sent fans and press into a tizzy, with rumors of an announcement over his replacement flying every which way. The BBC was quick to interject that the search for a new 'Doctor Who' remained ongoing for the foreseeable future, but with Comic-Con 2013 and the 'Doctor Who' 50th anniversary special on the horizon, when can Who-vian fans expect some real news?

According to the Radio Times, a BBC insider claimed that the official announcement for the new 'Doctor Who' wouldn't arrive until late August, or possibly even September, well after the likely Comic-Con 2013 panel from which fans will no doubt anticipate a big announcement.

The official casting will arrive before production of the 2013 Christmas special, in which Matt Smith will make his exit to introduce the newest actor in the role. Initially, filming had been scheduled to take place in late July or early August, but has since been pushed back a bit later in the summer.

Thus far, fan speculation has placed Rory Kinnear (James Bond franchise), Domhnall Glesson (Bill Weasley from the ‘Harry Potter‘ series), Daniel Kaluuya (‘The Fades’) and Dominic Cooper (Howard Stark from ‘Captain America’) as the frontrunners for the role, though whether there lies any truth to the castings remains to be seen.

Hopefully we'll learn more from Comic-Con 2013, but, in the meantime, what say you? Who would you like to see as the next 'Doctor Who'?