While Marvel has always done a fantastic job developing its supporting characters over the MCU's history, almost none have had more time to shine in recent years than Benedict Wong's Wong. The Kamar-Taj-based sorcerer began his journey as the magical librarian in 2016's Doctor Strange, and he's only grown in status and importance to the story over the past half-decade.
Last year, Wong played a minor role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings as fans saw him in the underground Macau fight club with the Abomination before introducing Shang-Chi to the Avengers. He then had a short, but fun, scene alongside Doctor Strange and Peter Parker in Spider-Man: No Way Home as he avoided being any part of Strange's spell to fix Peter's life, especially with his new title of Sorcerer Supreme.
Now, Wong brings his character back for another round of insanity in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where he shows more of just how powerful he is and his importance to the overarching story. Through the years, fans have even expressed their feelings to see a Wong-centric solo project, to which the actor recently shared his thoughts following his latest movie release.
Benedict Wong on Wong MCU Spin-Off
Variety spoke with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness star Benedict Wong about potentially leading a spin-off story for his MCU hero.
Admitting that he's flattered by the idea, he teased that he would love to see what happened to the Sorcerer Supreme during the five years after Thanos' snap before the main events of Avengers: Endgame. He joked around by mentioning that he always says "Have portal, will travel" when asked about the chances of the project coming to fruition:
"I’ve been asked this a million times, I could have just gotten them to sign the petition. I’m very flattered, and there are certain answers to certain questions that we need to be answered. We didn’t see him for five years when he went through the portal, so we can fill some storylines there. Let’s wait and see what Marvel does. I always say, ‘Have Portal, will travel.’"
Wong also looked back to the initial conversations about his character's arc within the MCU, noting how he was "vehemently not into doing what was in the old source material." Thankfully, Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige and Vice President Stephen Broussard were on the same page:
"When I first embarked on the role, we looked at the old source material and it needed an update. I remember my opening gambit when I was in the trailer and waiting to meet with Kevin and producer Stephen Broussard, and was vehemently not into doing what was in the old source material. And thankfully, neither were they."
This led them to develop a "no-nonsense, midfield general librarian" in Doctor Strange, who's now progressed into being the Sorcerer Supreme at Kamar-Taj. Wong found this out during a conference call with Sam Raimi, who saw it as a no-brainer to put Wong in this position:
"So, we created this no-nonsense, midfield general librarian with hints of Roy Keane [former Manchester United player] in there. This character has progressed now, and I found out when [director] Sam Raimi was on a conference call and talking me through the story. Here was this legend. He said, “Of course, you’re going to be the Sorcerer Supreme,” and as this geek, it’s so great what they’ve done with the character and how he stands toe-to-toe with Doctor Strange."
Wong heaped more praise upon Raimi for his work, commenting on the "playfulness" the director brings and how he "allows you to collaborate" on the material:
"He is one of the masters and such a wonderful man. In his nature, there’s so much playfulness with Sam and he allows you to collaborate. I love springing surprises on him, and if you have an inkling to try something, I try it. You just want to jump through hoops of fire for him. I feel Sam Rami is back with this, and we are lucky to have him."
Wong Ready to Reprise MCU Role
Benedict Wong already has roles in six live-action MCU movies from Phases 3 and 4, including three appearances within the past year alone after Avengers: Endgame. Considering how important he's becoming to the fabric of both the Avengers and the more magical side of the story, a pre-Endgame solo project shouldn't be out of the question for the Sorcerer Supreme.
There has yet to be an MCU project that actually tackled the five-year gap where half of the universe was dusted in Endgame, leaving plenty of story available to tell in other projects from that time. A Wong prequel could be just the thing to show what the world was like during those five years, filling in some of the gaps in a way similar to what Obi-Wan Kenobi is about to do with the Star Wars franchise.
Looking at how Wong became the Sorcerer Supreme during that timeframe with Doctor Strange gone, fans are curious to see exactly how he rose through the ranks to get to that title following the death of the Ancient One. If and when that happens, Benedict Wong appears to be waiting in line ready to go as he continues his impressive run through the MCU.
Wong can be seen in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which is now playing in theaters worldwide.
