Benedict Wong's Wong has been a significant part of the MCU's Phase 4 thus far, with the character appearing in multiple projects already - this includes both Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and Spider-Man: No Way Home. The character's appearance is not coincidental, since the Tom Holland-led threequel confirmed that Wong is now the Sorcerer Supreme. Wong's next appearance will be in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, a sequel that is expected to have massive ramifications across the MCU.
Given Wong's important role in the franchise, fans are wondering if a solo project for the Sorcerer Supreme is in the cards down the line. The Marvel actor previously weighed in on the potential spinoff idea, with him responding to a tweet with a simple 'thinking face' and 'light bulb' emoji. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige even joked that the MCU is "fast becoming the WCU," something Wong seemed to be okay with.
Now, ahead of Wong's next major role, the actor has shared his thoughts about the spinoff and who his co-star could be.
A Wong Disney+ Spinoff?
Benedict Wong sat down with Amon Warmann of the Fade to Black podcast to talk about the possibility of seeing a spinoff series centered around Wong.
Wong admitted that it would be a "wonderful" idea to continue the character's story on the small screen, pointing out that he would "certainly be up for it."
The MCU veteran continued by saying that the show could "go anywhere," mainly because Wong is casually opening portals but fans have no idea where he's going:
"Well look, hey, I'll just have to wait for the Wong-tourage to kind of make the placards, they're rioting in the streets now. Hey, what do we say? It would be wonderful, wouldn’t it? I’d certainly be up for it, definitely. Where’d we go with that? We could go anywhere. So far, we always have Wong go through a portal and we don’t know what happened for the last 5 years so maybe there’s a [story] in it. Yeah, like a 5-year series. And some, they [Marvel Studios] do it so well."
Without being prompted about the idea, Wong pitched a concept for his own Wong to team up with Jacob Batalon's Ned for a "sorcerer and the apprentice"-type Disney+ spin-off:
"I’d quite like the idea of the sorcerer and the apprentice with Ned as my apprentice. Obviously, he’s got a few of the old portal skills."
During Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ned manages to open portals using a Sling Ring throughout the movie, a skill that is hard to learn as evidenced by the first Doctor Strange movie.
What's Next for Jacob Batalon's Ned?
Benedict Wong's confirmation that he's down for a potential spinoff centered around his MCU character is a positive sign, thus making things easier for Marvel Studios. However, with so many projects lined up in the coming years, it would take some time before a Wong-focused series would be put in development.
Jacob Batalon's MCU future as Ned is unknown after the tragic ending of Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, given that the character has a fresh slate, it allows for more storytelling opportunities, such as the one that Wong suggested.
Exploring the magical connection for Ned Leeds' could be an interesting series, especially if Wong and even Doctor Strange end up making their presence felt. Doing this also distances Ned from his comic fate of becoming the Hobgoblin, setting the stage for a more heroic path.
However, there could be a rights issue when it comes to releasing the project on Disney+ since the Ned Leeds character is owned by Sony. This complication has already emerged during the latest Marvel Studios Legends episode where Disney+ excluded scenes from No Way Home during the recap of Strange and Wong's journeys.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is set to premiere in theaters on May 6.
