"Oh, dear. We are in trouble, aren't we...?"
-- The Second Doctor, DOCTOR WHO: "The Three Doctors"
Unless this is part of deliberate misdirection, the worst fears of Whovians across the globe may have just been realized. Doctor Who TV reports that the newest issue of Doctor Who Magazine (Issue #460) confirms that no other previous Doctors besides David Tennant's Tenth Doctor will join Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith in the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special. DWM features the following statement:
"Although David Tennant has returned to his role of the Tenth Doctor, the other old Doctors will not be taking part."Fans have been increasingly concerned since word leaked earlier this month that Christopher Eccleston had decided to not return as the Ninth Doctor after meeting with showrunner Steven Moffat to discuss Moffat's plans for the 50th anniversary. John Barrowman recently expressed his disappointment at not being asked to reprise his role as Captain Jack Harkness.
The Doctor Who TV article also cited a previous quote from Moffat concerning the special -- "It is important you don’t turn it into a fanfest. We can’t make this all about looking backwards. It’s actually got to be the start of a new story."
DWM #460 also claims that production on the anniversary special is almost complete, with production on the 2013 Christmas Special and "possibly further episodes" beginning after Matt Smith finishes his work on the film How to Catch a Monster. This comment opens the door for speculation on whether or not Smith will continue on after the 2013 Christmas Special.
On the upside however, Doctor Who fans can take some small comfort in knowing that Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann will reprise their roles as Doctors Four through Eight respectively in the 50th anniversary audio adventure "The Light at the End" from Big Finish that was announced back in January.