Benedict Wong teases there's 'something looming' regarding the return of his character
(Image credit: Alamy / Marvel Studios)
While it's no secret that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has hit a rough patch, it could soon see the return of a fan-favorite character: Wong, the MCU's current Sorcerer Supreme. Details remain scarce, but Benedict Wong has teased that there's "something looming" regarding the return of his character.
"I can't really say. It's been awhile," Wong told ComicBook.com at the red carpet premiere of his latest project, Netflix's "3 Body Problem." "Something's looming. Something's looming."
Granted, that's not a lot to go on, but his answer is particularly raising eyebrows because Disney has remained silent about the future of Doctor Strange since "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" hit theaters in 2022 to middling reviews. In the two years since, Disney hasn't released any new updates about Doctor Strange 3.
So where could Wong soon make an appearance in the MCU? That's the million-dollar question. As Sorcerer Supreme, a role Wong took over after Doctor Strange was snapped by Thanos in "Avengers: Infinity War," he certainly occupies an important place in the MCU. And with that brings a lot of potential for appearances in other MCU movies and series, possibly even his own spin-off.
The most likely candidate for Wong's return would of course be Doctor Strange 3. The trilogy finale, while still unconfirmed, is all but certain given the character's popularity and the cliffhanger "Multiverse of Madness" left on. The film introduced the idea of incursions to the MCU, or collisions between two realities in the multiverse, often with catastrophic results.
A post-credit scene also teased a new character: Clea, the current Sorcerer Supreme in comic books and Strange's ex-wife, played by Charlize Theron. In Doctor Strange 3, we could see Wong hang back to protect Earth while the good doctor is off running damage control on an incursion.
Another possibility could be the rumored Strange Academy series that Marvel has in the works. In the comic books, Strange Academy is sort of a spin on Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters where students are taught to control magic rather than their mutant powers. The closing moments of "Multiverse of Madness" saw Wong take America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) under his wing to train her in the ways of all things mystic. So it's possible Wong could be referring to his work on a spin-off Strange Academy series where he trains a new generation of young magic users.
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Marvel had already begun retooling its slate of upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows once "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" bombed with critics and fans alike. But those plans appear to have kicked into high gear after Jonathan Majors who plays Kang, the main villain planned for the next MCU phase, was found guilty of reckless assault in the third degree and guilty of harassment. Marvel cut ties with Majors following the verdict, which, combined with several high-profile flops, has the company working on a major MCU reboot.
A project like Strange Academy could inject some new blood into the MCU, introducing a slew of new and/or obscure characters from the comics for fans to fall in love with. After all, it worked with "Deadpool" and Negasonic Teenage Warhead.
Alyse Stanley is a news editor at Tom’s Guide, overseeing weekend coverage and writing about the latest in tech, gaming, and entertainment. Before Tom’s Guide, Alyse worked as an editor for the Washington Post’s sunsetted video game section, Launcher. She previously led Gizmodo’s weekend news desk and has written game reviews and features for outlets like Polygon, Unwinnable, and Rock, Paper, Shotgun. She’s a big fan of horror movies, cartoons, and roller skating. She's also a puzzle fan and can often be found contributing to the NYT Connections coverage on Tom's Guide
