Doctor Strange may be the Master of the Mystic Arts, but in the Marvel comics universe, he wouldn't be nearly as successful in his endeavors without the assistance of Wong. For nearly all of the superhero's 50+ year history, Wong has been by his side, whether it's helping him conjure spells or looking after any guests at the Sanctum Sanctorum. However, when Doctor Strange comes out later this year, that version of Wong won't be relegated to being Stephen Strange's manservant, instead being more of an authority figure.
While speaking with Den of Geek, The Martian actor Benedict Wong revealed that his version of Wong in Doctor Strange will be a magic user himself, training others at The Ancient One's compound. He explained:
I'm certainly not going to be the tea-making manservant. We're heading in a different direction. He's more of a drill sergeant. There isn't any martial arts for Wong in Doctor Strange actually, he's more of a drill sergeant to Kamar-Taj. He's one of the masters of sorcery.
When Benedict Wong was announced to play Wong last year, that was the first indicator that Doctor Strange's Wong would be different from his comic book counterpart. For one thing, he and Benedict Cumberbatch are about the same age, whereas Wong in the comics is younger than Stephen Strange. Plus, given what we saw in the teaser trailer, there's really no way Wong's martial arts skills would come in handy. All that, combined with steering away from stereotypes, means that moviegoers will meet a very different version of Wong in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, though he'll still be an important player. When Stephen Strange finds The Ancient One and learns about the existence of magic, maybe it will be Wong who whips him into shape, preparing him for the difficulties in harnessing these mysterious powers.
Despite this revelation, we still don't know exactly how much we'll see of Wong in Doctor Strange. Benedict Wong stated that the character Wong will be a "drill sergeant" in Kamar-Taj, so will all his scenes be limited there or will he eventually follow Stephen Strange back to New York like his comic book counterpart? There's certainly plenty of space in the Sanctum Sanctorum for him to hang out, but it's possible he may just remain at his usual post. Wong (the actor) said later in the interview that right now, there are no plans for him to appear in a Doctor Strange sequel, but obviously that could change if director Scott Derrickson (or whoever would helm said movie) wanted him back. That's assuming, of course, that Wong makes it out of the movie alive, which will be difficult for all involved considering the dark forces at work.
Doctor Strange will work its magic in theaters on November 4.
