While Doctor Strange was once the face of the mystic arts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Benedict Wong seems to be competing for the role. Not only did the character provide universe-saving help in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, he also showed up in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: No Way Home, where he was seen in the latter warning Strange about casting that fateful spell in the first trailer.
There's been a lot of Wong in the MCU lately, which comes as more than just minor appearances. He's the one who recruited Shang-Chi to the Avengers (or at least that's what it seemed) instead of Doctor Strange. Additionally, had the good Doctor listened to his warning in the trailer, the entirety of Spider-Man: No Way Home could have been avoided.
Wong's increasing appearances and wise actions haven't gone unnoticed. In fact, on the red carpet for Tom Holland's new film, the actor revealed that even Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige has been teasing him about his increased workload
Benedict Wong Does No Wrong
In an interview with Marvel Entertainment on the red carpet for Spider-Man: No Way Home, Benedict Wong, who plays the MCU's Wong, spoke about a joking email from Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige.
According to the actor, Feige joked that the MCU is "fast becoming the WCU," something Wong seemed to be okay with.
"I got an email from Kevin Feige saying, 'It's fast becoming the WCU (Wong Cinematic Universe).' So, I'll take that. Here we are."
Wong went on to tease why that is, saying that "there'll be a shift [after No Way Home]:"
"Wel, you know, there'll be a shift, I think, definitely in this which will, hopefully, you know, We'll see different responsibilities, I think."
Wong's New Role In Spider-Man: No Way Home
Warning - The rest of this article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.
For those who have seen Tom Holland's latest outing, it's pretty clear what the actor is talking about: Wong is now the Sorcerer Supreme. It's a reveal that may have been a little hard for some Doctor Strange fans to digest when they heard it.
Those "different responsibilities" are referencing his new duties as the guy on the top of the totem pole, which, for some reason, includes coaching Abomination? His Shang-Chi cameo certainly needs some elaboration in the future, although that's far from the end of his MCU duties.
This change may have also occurred for logistical reasons. Since the Sorcerer Supreme is needed quite often in-universe, getting an actor such as Benedict Wong consistently may be a lot easier than Benedict Cumberbatch––and cheaper at that.
Either way, at least there's a fun plot reason for the change while Strange's role in the universe doesn't seem to have diminished. After all, he does have a movie centered around him next summer, with the Sorcerer Supreme Wong by his side.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is now playing in theaters worldwide, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness lands on May 6, 2022.
