Claim: The Doctor has the gift of regeneration.

In the long running British science fiction television series Doctor Who , regeneration is a biological ability exhibited by the Time Lords , a race of fictional humanoids originating on the planet Gallifrey . This process allows a Time Lord who is old , wounded or otherwise dying to undergo a transformation into a new physical form and a somewhat different personality . The process has been used eleven times throughout the history of the franchise as a device for introducing a new actor for the lead role of its main character , the Doctor . The current incarnation of the Doctor is played by Peter Capaldi , following the regeneration of the Eleventh Doctor -LRB- portrayed by Matt Smith -RRB- during the 2013 Christmas special `` The Time of the Doctor '' . Other Time Lords and similar characters have also regenerated , for various reasons , sometimes with change of actors .