Ever since it was announced that Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill would be departing as 'Doctor Who' companions after the seventh series, fans have hopped aboard their TARDIS in search of any information that would lead to the identity of the next companion.  Brace yourselves, we have a winner.

Today 'Doctor Who' executive producer Steven Moffat announces that 25 year-old UK star Jenna-Louise Coleman will be the one to hop aboard the TARDIS with Eleventh Time Lord Matt Smith as the new companion after Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill depart this coming season.  Coleman would be recognizable to American viewers as the small role of Connie from 'Captain America: The First Avenger," and will also be seen in the upcoming ITV 'Titanic' mini-series.

Steven Moffat says of Coleman's casting, "It always seems impossible when you start casting these parts, but when we saw Matt and Jenna together, we knew we had our girl. She's funny and clever and exactly mad enough to step on board the TARDIS. It's not often the Doctor meets someone who can talk even faster than he does, but it's about to happen. Jenna is going to lead him his merriest dance yet. And that's all you're getting for now. Who she's playing, how the Doctor meets her, and even where he finds her, are all part of one of the biggest mysteries the Time Lord ever encounters. Even by the Doctor's standards, this isn't your usual boy meets girl."

Well that's all very well and good, but how will Amy and Rory's final stories play out, introducing Jenna-Louise as the latest to join The Doctor?  According to a series of tweets between the official 'Doctor Who' account and Doctor Who Magazine, Amy (Karen Gillan) and Rory (Arthur Darvill) will exit after the show's fall run, which sees the return of longtime 'Doctor Who' baddies the Daleks, and series 5 menace the Weeping Angels.  The Weeping Angels will appear in the fifth and final episode to feature Amy and Rory, while "not everyone gets out alive and I mean it this time."

Coleman will then first appear as the new companion in the show's Christmas special, leading into the next run of episodes in 2013.  Coleman's casting also dispels rumors that one-time 'Doctor Who' guest star Sophia Myles would be the one to join The Doctor, based on circumstantial evidence.

What say you, 'Who'-vians?  can Jenna-Louise Coleman fill the hole left behind by Amy and Rory Pond?  What are you most looking forward to about series seven?  Give us your 'Doctor Who' hopes in the comments section below!

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