‘Doctor Who’ Season 10 air date, predictions, spoilers: Matt Smith returns as the Doctor after Peter Capaldi’s exit?; Season 10 to air in 2017

Is Matt Smith back as The Doctor? With news of incumbent Doctor Peter Capaldi leaving the show after "Doctor Who" Season 10, there have been a lot of speculations about his replacement, and among the familiar names being mentioned is Smith.

Talk about Smith's return stemmed from "Doctor Who" showrunner Steven Moffat's announcement that the actor would like to make a comeback on the show.  Smith played the Eleventh Doctor for three seasons until he was succeeded by Capaldi.

Although nothing has been confirmed yet, fans have cooked up three plausible theories as to how Smith might return to "Doctor Who" Season 10 and in future seasons, Screen Rant reported. One obvious theory is that the show could come up with a multi-Doctor episode. That means all the past Doctors, including Smith, could make an appearance.

The second theory takes its cues on the 50^th anniversary episode titled "Day of the Doctor." In this particular episode, Smith encountered a museum curator played by former Doctor Tom Baker. The curator supposed that The Doctor might find himself revisiting "old favorites."

The third theory is more attuned to the show's core elements - that is The Doctor's regeneration. Capaldi's doctor might run into some problems with his regeneration and go back to Smith's Doctor (or the other Doctors) before taking on a new form. 

However, Smith has shot down rumors about his return to the BBC series in an interview with The Guardian. Although he admitted that he misses working on the show, he denied that he's coming back in "Doctor Who" Season 10.

"I miss everything. I miss Steven, I miss Karen, I miss Arthur, I miss Jenna. I miss time travelling. And I miss my friends in Cardiff," Smith said, "BUT onward goes the march. It's [Peter Capaldi's] Tardis now. And I love what he does. So I watch as a fan."

In the meantime, "Doctor Who" Season 10 won't be airing in 2016 as initially expected. Filming only started in June 2016, so a release date can be expected to set in 2017. Pearl Mackie has been introduced as The Doctor's new companion, replacing Jenna Coleman who exited the show last year.