If there’s a Marvel movie these days, there’s a good chance Benedict Wong will make an appearance.
By playing the devoted Sorcerer Supreme – aka just Wong – the actor has become a thread through Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, Wong also popped up in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and, most recently, the Disney+ series She-Hulk: Lawyer.
On last year’s red carpet for No way homeWong revealed that Marvel head Kevin Feige emailed him saying that the franchise was “fast becoming the WCU,” or the Wong Cinematic Universe.
“I have the email, I’m seriously considering getting it as wallpaper,” Wong jokes to News Kidda. “I just love playing this role and where it takes me. With every kind of project they invite me to, it just pulls another layer off the onion, you know? You learn a little more about the eccentricities of the Sorcerer Supreme.”
Marvel fans on Twitter have embraced the idea of the Wong Cinematic Universe, and Twitter’s attention has become so apparent that Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) even acknowledged it.
“God, everyone loves Wong,” Jen Walters tells the camera in episode four. “It’s like putting Twitter armor on the show for a week.”
“I’m really encouraged by it, you know?” Wong fills in about the social media attention. “The Marvel fans have warmed me up quite a bit and I’m grateful for that. In terms of acting, I take my job very seriously, but I also really enjoy kicking a ball around in this universe.”
In a conversation with News KiddaWong, who joined Marvel in 2016 Doctor Strangetalks about the future of the WCU, welcomes newcomers to the franchise and the magic of VFX in She-Hulk episode four. Read on for the full interview.
It’s always a pleasant surprise for fans to see Wong popping up in so many different Marvel movies, and recently you’ve been featured in two episodes of She-Hulk.
It’s such an atmosphere, isn’t it? The show itself is so refreshing. It’s absolutely amazing. I just went in to watch, and I just said to my wife, “I haven’t gotten to my episodes yet, but I just loved this show.” That’s such an honor for these incredible women leading a very respectful set, and there was so much creativity [there]. And then with Tatiana [Maslany] and Ginger Gonzaga (who plays Jen’s best friend Nikki) – when I first got on the show I already knew. Sparks flew between the two of them. I had never really met Tatiana and Ginger, but I just saw this super fast table tennis sort of rally [between them].
Throughout phase 4, it feels like your character Wong is an important thread running through the movies and shows. You mentioned last year that Kevin Feige called it the “Wong Cinematic Universe” in an email. Since then, the WCU has really picked up steam on Twitter. What is your reaction to that kind of momentum for the character?
Got the email, I’m seriously considering getting it as wallpaper. No, I told the internet, and now it’s everywhere. But that’s very nice of him to say. To me I’m like an excited puppy when I get the call from him, you know? Like, “Hey, would you like to be in X?” And that comes from me, just personally, for being such a Marvel fan. Growing up as a child, reading Spider Man comics, and then find myself in this world and find a character named Wong. I just enjoy playing this role and where it takes me. With every kind of project they invite me to, it just pulls another layer off the onion, you know? You will learn a little more about the eccentricities of the Sorcerer Supreme.
And when things explode on Twitter, do you ever notice that kind of reaction on social media?
Yes, I mean, [they] send me stuff, and then you go down a bit of a curious rabbit hole. It really gives me courage, you know? The Marvel fans have warmed me up quite a bit and I’m grateful for that. I take my job very seriously in the acting field, but I also really enjoy playing ball in this universe. I was watching episode four [of She-Hulk] today and just marveling at the work of the VFX team. Just a simple hand gesture of the movement there I can play, and then what they can fill in. Or just a wave of an arm, and suddenly something else appears. And to me that’s just the realm of being the big kid that I’ve always been. I just have the most incredible team around me to make it all happen. It looks visually beautiful especially with all the goblins [in episode four].
For that scene in particular, there must have been dozens of goblins that the VFX team added in post-production. Since the goblins aren’t really there to fight during filming, are you just doing some sort of wing?
Yes, exactly. To have no idea. They just give you, you know, “here’s your smoke and mirrors.” And you have a stick and you wave it, or you pretend to grab things and throw them into something. You just have no idea. You are at their mercy, truly, and they save you. They save you so much.
In She-Hulk episode four we also meet Madisynn, played by Patty Guggenheim, who becomes unlikely friends with the Sorcerer Supreme. This allows us to see your character in a different setting, just chilling at home The Sopranos. Did you enjoy discovering a side of him that we haven’t seen before?
It is, isn’t it? It’s like a window into Wong’s world. What happens if we are not on these missions that we have to complete. I just saw him having some kind of procrastination, watching him settle down with a biscotti in his mouth. And then from the sky falls the incredible Patty Guggenheim, who is one of the breakouts in this episode and deserves all the flowers. She was one of the members of the Groundlings, and she always ran away with employee of the week when I was there. Her improv skills – you forget you’re supposed to act with her because you’re just marveling.
Tatiana is a newcomer to the MCU, just like Simu Liu in shang chie and Xochitl Gomez in Doctor Strange. As a veteran of the franchise, is it your job to welcome them?
Yes. It’s funny because I remember that with Simu. When they were filming, I think when they saw me coming, they finally realized they were in a Marvel movie. I’ve more or less put my wax seal of approval. I mean, of course, what can I say but welcome to the MCU – or sorry, the WCU, or whatever. And whatever learning curves and curveballs I can add or any advice, I’m always there. Especially with Xochitl too, just a big-eyed rabbit in the headlights. I think it’s kind of a duty, as a member of a large ensemble, to keep people a little stable and reassure them.
[For She-Hulk,] it’s also high praise for Tatiana. It’s hard, isn’t it? You go in and you help something, and introduce a new superhero character. And what makes it so different from the others? I really enjoyed seeing its fragility, its frustrations, and experiencing its power. I have no doubt that She-Hulk will be one of the MVPs of the MCU.
There is a movement among fans for a Wong series. Is that something you still hope for?
You know, a lot of people have said that. Yes, I could certainly come up with some ideas. But hey, it’s not up to me to push that. If you ever see anyone, send the question there. I mean, look, I love playing this part, and I think there are so many more possibilities that we can go into with a series, yeah.
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She-Hulk streams on Thursdays on Disney+.