Wong – like, Adele? As of "Spider-Man: No Way Home," it's more like "Sorcerer Supreme."
Tom Holland's Spider-Man is unlike anything we've seen before from the
web-slinger on the big screen. In earlier movies, Peter Parker often acted as a
lone wolf. He worked by himself and never seemed to encounter other superheroes in his world,
even in New York City, home to most of the Marvel universe's superheroes. This
changed pretty drastically with the character's introduction into the Marvel Cinematic Universe,
where he has had plenty of opportunities to fight alongside Earth's mightiest heroes.
"Cap'n. Big fan. Spider-Man."
"Yeah, we'll talk about it later."
"Hey everyone."
"Good job."
In "Captain America: Civil War" and "Spider-Man: Homecoming," he was a protégé of Iron Man.
In "Spider-Man: Far From Home," he had to try to live up to Tony Stark's expectations
in the aftermath of Iron Man's death. And, in "Spider-Man: No Way Home," Peter turns to a member
of his old "Avengers: Infinity War" cohort, Doctor Strange, to help him out of a pinch.
As "No Way Home" begins, Peter's dealing with the ramifications of having his
identity exposed to the world. He turns to the Bleecker Street sorcerer to cast a
spell so that no one will remember that Peter Parker and Spider-Man are one and the same.
It's at this moment we get an intriguing new bit of information about a key player,
and it's something every MCU fan maybe should have seen coming.
After Peter shows up, Doctor Strange and Wong discuss the ethical and practical ramifications
of casting a spell that will impact everyone on the planet, including themselves. It's at
this point Wong makes it known he is now the Sorcerer Supreme, and it makes total sense.
In "Infinity War," Wong is left to protect the Sanctum Sanctorum when Ebony Maw takes
Strange prisoner. While the movie makes it unclear if Wong is a casualty of The Blip,
the actor who plays him, Benedict Wong, confirmed in a 2019 Reddit AMA that he would likely take
over as Sorcerer Supreme. Although Strange was originally tapped to hold the title,
he was gone for five years, courtesy of Thanos. Naturally, the title had to go to someone else,
considering everyone thought Strange was permanently dead.
The revelation about Wong's new status within the sorcerer hierarchy provides
new context to an exchange featured in the "No Way Home" teaser trailer:
"Don't cast that spell. It's too dangerous."
"Fine. I won't."
We now know that order isn't coming from
a peer. it's coming from someone who's effectively Strange's boss.
What does this mean for the future of the MCU? Probably not much. Doctor Strange still
has full control of his powers, including his ability to manipulate reality per his whims.
Wong will likely still be Sorcerer Supreme going into "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse
of Madness," but that likely won't stop Strange from messing with other realities and
interacting with Scarlet Witch along the way. It's simply a title change,
though it's one that Wong probably won't want to give up any time soon.
Wong as the Sorcerer Supreme makes sense,
but one aspect of his new role that may have fans scratching their heads is why
such a powerful individual spends their time fighting in underground cage fights.
As Marvel fans will remember, Wong was part of Xialing's superpowered
tournament in "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings."
Such an act might make sense for a sorcerer who's short on rent money for the month.
But doesn't the Sorcerer Supreme have better things to do than break The Abomination out
of a high-security prison to battle him in front of a bunch of spectators and gamblers?
Maybe Wong just loves the thrill of the fight. Perhaps he's having trouble paying
off the homeowner's tax for the Sanctum Sanctorum.
It's undoubtedly expensive right smack dab in the middle of Manhattan. Either way, it
appears that Doctor Strange isn't the only wizard who's willing to bend the rules a little bit.
The real question remains whether Wong will retain the title of Sorcerer Supreme or if Strange will
take it back at some point in "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." Time will tell.
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