Or he will by end of year. A shame, I was just getting used to the black-and-gold motif, as much as I haven't enjoyed the artwork in the comics itself. Back on topic... How about that RING?! http://blogtorwho.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/the-doctors-ring.html As I understand it, it's NOT Capaldi's actual wedding ring (which I think is a simple gold band), but a prop ring made for the character. We've read that the actor doesn't take his ring off for roles anymore, but swapping it out for another one seems to be okay... It wouldn't surprise me that the actor has a dent in his finger from decades of wearing the thing (I do) and wouldn't want to NOT wear it anymore, I guess... Mark
I'm willing to bet that at least the Red/Gold pattern will be back by the time of "Avengers Age of Ultron". Marvel has a tendency to change-or revert-their heroes in order to help sell titles to those who have seen the movies. I think this kind of started with the X-men movie, where the X-men sported black leather which lasted a few years until Whedon's run put them back in the spandex.
Looks like it's two Rings. The wedding band and this new one to blend in with it. I guess now that the doctor is older he needs a new tactic in picking up chicks. Wedding band does the trick.
The Second Doctor (at least initially) and the Third Doctor also wore rings. http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=npgheg&s=6#.U9O0n410zDc
I am not expecting that (or Captain America to revert to Steve Rogers or Mjolnir to return to Thor Odinson) by May. The reason is time; there's not enough publishing time between the launch of Captain America, Thor, and Superior Iron Man in September/October and Avengers: Age of Ultron in May for more than a single story arc (by the standards of modern decompression) with the new takes on these characters. Why make a big media splash on the new Captain America and Thor if all you're going to get out of them is six to eight issues? (I have my issues with the way Marvel handled the reveal on both of those, but that's an issue for another time.) The wild card, I suppose is "Time Runs Out" next spring. If that does reboot the Marvel Universe (as some think it will), then perhaps Marvel made those changes to Thor and Captain America precisely because they were going to be reverted in short order, not unlike how Civil War outed Peter Parker as Spider-Man because Marvel knew it was a short-term issue since "One More Day" was already in the planning stages. I expect the Avengers Three will be back to their "iconic" selves by the time each of their next solo movies comes out, again, not unlike how Peter Parker was back as Spider-Man just before Amazing Spider-Man 2 came out. By next May, though? No way.
I read an article suggesting (IIRC) that Marvel Comics might be making these changes specifically to assert its own independent identity, to tell stories that aren't just reflections of what the movies are doing. To remind people that the comics exist as more than just movie proposals.