Do we like them?

Do we like Doctor Strange?

A character from Doctor Strange (2016)

Our score: 7 out of 10. Yes, mostly. He's vain and stubborn, and his meddling sometimes backfires. But he learns humility and will make huge sacrifices to protect the world.

Stephen Vincent Strange is an egotistical neurosurgeon who transforms himself into the world's foremost sorcerer to protect Earth from supernatural threats. In his first film, he is at the top of his profession and thinks mostly about himself. His career is wrecked by an accident. Desperate for a cure, he travels the world and ends up among the mystic arts teachers at Kamar-Taj.

His score comes from a mix of flaws and virtues. He's sarcastic, proud and slow to take advice, and he sometimes trusts his own cleverness a little too much. His quick wit and charisma keep him likeable, though. He also learns fast, and he is willing to take on the dangerous jobs that nobody else can do. He ends up as a protector of the whole planet, not just New York.

Later films show both sides of him. In Avengers: Infinity War he makes a surprising, calculated gamble with the Time Stone. In Spider-Man: No Way Home, a spell meant to help a friend goes badly wrong and tears at the fabric of the multiverse. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness then pushes him into some of his darkest choices. He is powerful and well-meaning, but he is also a risk to the people around him.