56-year-old Peter Capaldi is the 12^th doctor, serving as a middle-aged The Doctor beginning with the upcoming 'Doctor Who' season 9 premiere, compared to the younger actors who have portrayed the role, such as Tom Baker, Matt Smith, and John Pertwee in the earlier seasons. Even with his age, Capaldi is not worried that his "Doctor" might be taken as "too old."

Since Capaldi's casting, critics have wondered if the choice to cast a middle-aged doctor will get the fans' support, but Capaldi believes in this positively.

"When people see you — they meet you, or they meet me—they very kindly project the character of Doctor Who upon me," said Capaldi in an interview published by the Inquisitr.

"They are always very pleased to see Doctor Who so I get more smiles and affection than I would be normally. You have a real sense of how much the show means to those who love it," added Capaldi.

There is still no confirmation whether Capaldi's current companion in season 8, Jenna Coleman, will return for the 9^th season. Coleman said in a statement that it is hard to tell or get confirmations, especially when filming the rest of the eighth season.

"I don't know yet. I don't know. To be honest, it's hard when you're in the middle of it... we've still got the Christmas episode to come out," Coleman said in an interview.