The first ever female Time Lord in the history of Doctor Who is coming back for at least one more season. Jodie Whittaker made her debut as the Thirteenth Doctor after Peter Capaldi said his goodbye at the end of season 10, paving the way for history to be made. While there were certain traditionalist fans who were a bit irritated over the choice, Whittaker's Doctor has largely been embraced by fans and critics thus far. Now, straight from the actress herself, we have word that she's sticking around for at least one more go.

There were rumors floating around recently that Jodie Whittaker could be departing the role in the not-too-distant future, if showrunner Chris Chibnall ends up leaving the show. Rumor has it he's not terribly happy with the gig and may depart sooner rather than later. While it remains to be seen if that's going to happen, Whittaker did confirm in a recent interview that she'll be back navigating the Tardis through time and space in Doctor Who season 12. Here's what she had to say about it.

"I really can't wait to step back in and get to work again. It's such an incredible role. It's been an extraordinary journey so far and I'm not quite ready to hand it over yet."

The BBC is typically very tight-lipped when it comes to the future of Doctor Who, especially while the current season is still airing. But Jodie Whittaker has let fans know that she's going to be around next year at least. Beyond that, it's very difficult to say. Literally anything is possible in this series and the Doctor could, at almost any time, face a regeneration, leading to someone else stepping in. Even if Whittaker only does one more season, her impact will be felt for quite some time after her departure.

Prior to Jodie Whittaker taking over the role, the Doctor had always been played by a white British guy. Now that we've seen the character played by a woman, whenever Whittaker decides to depart, or whenever the BBC decides for her, for that matter, the floodgates will be wide open for another different take on the iconic role. But, for now at least, there's no real need to think that far ahead. We've still got plenty of time to spend with number 13 and her trio of companions.

Doctor Who season 11 is set to come to a close this Sunday. The series will return for a New Year's special before heading into production on season 12, which is expected to begin in early 2019. There has been some buzz going on in the rumor mill of a possibly much shorter season next year, perhaps consisting of only six episodes and a Christmas special. It remains to be seen if that has any truth to it. Either way, it will be Jodie Whittaker front and center. The Doctor Who season 11 finale airs this Sunday on BBC and BBC America. This news was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter.