Who is the Sorcerer Supreme? Though the obvious answer is Doctor Strange, the MCU‘s most famous Master of the Mystic Arts, it’s actually Wong — he got the gig when Strange was Blipped. That just surmises how, ever since making his screen debut six years ago, Wong has been an underrated and ever-dependable protector of planet Earth who doesn’t really get the due he deserves, although he is a low-key fan-favorite.
Fortunately for Wong lovers (aka the Wong-tourage), the past year has been good to him as he’s made a number of appearances already in Phase Four. Less fortunately, star Benedict Wong has warned that we might not be seeing him again in the franchise for a short while now. So we’d better make the most of his extended screentime in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, in theaters this weekend.
With Wong playing an integral role in preventing reality from kablooey in the new sequel, then, let’s honor the man who only needs one name — like Adele or Eminem — and look back at the MCU journey so far of the one and only Wong.
Doctor Strange
Wong was introduced, along with every other aspect of the world of the Mystic Arts, in Doctor Strange. Stephen first encountered him when he was the librarian at Kamar-Taj. The pair didn’t initially hit it off due to Wong’s stoic nature, but the battle against Kaecilius and the Zealots in Hong Kong forged a firm friendship between them. The most important thing we learned about Wong from this movie, though, is that he’s a secret Beyoncé fan.
Avengers: Infinity War
In Avengers: Infinity War, Wong was present when Bruce Banner crashed through the roof of the New York Sanctum, with dire warnings that Thanos was coming to decimate the planet. Wong joined Strange in aiding Iron Man in battling the Black Order when they arrived in the city shortly after. He elected not to travel on with them, however, as he decreed that someone needed to hold down the fort at the Sanctum in case any mystical threats arose, too.
Avengers: Endgame
After Thanos’ Snap is undone and the blipped half the universe is restored in Avengers: Endgame, Wong arrives on the battlefield that was once the Avengers compound, bringing with him recruits from across the galaxy to aid in the final fight against the Mad Titan and his forces. Though we don’t get to see it, Wong must’ve had some wild adventures traveling to other planets in order to convince folks to join the cause.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
And so begins, as Benedict Wong likes to call it, Phase Wong. Wong made his first of many Phase Four appearances in Shang-Chi. Simu Liu’s hero initially encounters him at Macau’s Golden Daggers Club, where the magic-man is tussling with Abomination (though they strangely appear to be pals, too). Wong later reunites with Shang to inform him that the Ten Rings are emitting a beacon to some unknown extraterrestrial power. Looks like we’ll have to wait for Shang-Chi 2 to find out what that’s about.
What If…?
Wong featured in two episodes of What If…? season one. Most prominently, he appeared in episode four which focused on a corrupt Strange variant. Wong attempted to stop him from ravaging reality, but he was eradicated due to a time paradox the dark Strange created. A zombiefied Wong also cameod in episode five, set in a universe where an undead virus swept the globe.
Spider-Man: No Way Home
Wong’s most recent role came in Spider-Man: No Way Home. When Peter Parker visited the New York Sanctum to ask Strange to perform a spell for him, Wong was dead against it but didn’t stick around to check they heeded his warning as he had to return to Kamar-Taj. Of course, Strange went ahead with it and ended up endangering the multiverse. Which is why Wong is the Sorcerer Supreme and not Strange.
Doctor Strange 2 is in cinemas from May 6.