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From Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man to Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, MCU has mostly hit the ball out of the park with their casting choices, and Benedict Wong’s casting as Wong is no different. Despite playing second fiddle to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange in the 2016 film, Wong eventually became a fan-favorite and has made a total of 8 appearances in the MCU.
And it was Matt Damon’sThe Martianthat helped theGemini ManStar earn the role of the hilarious character, whose presence keeps on elevating the MCU projects he is involved in.
Also read:“Not the get out of jail free card people think it is”: MCU Fans Expose Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange’s 14 Million Outcomes Scene in Infinity War
The MartianPaved the Way for Benedict Wong’s MCU Journey
When Benedict Wong joined forces withMatt Damonand Chiwetel Ejiofor, he lacked an agent and also didn’t have much knowledge about Doctor Strange and his mythos. However, things eventually changed after hisThe Martianco-star Chiwetel Ejiofor got selected to play the gig of Baron Mordo inDoctor Strange, as this sparked some interest in Wong to look at the character and his sidekick. Upon learning about the sidekick’s name, which was coincidently similar to his, the actor got interested in the role. He explained toVariety,
“We were working on ‘The Martian’ together and having lunch, and he told me he was going to be doing this thing called ‘Doctor Strange.’ I looked it up on the internet and saw a photo of Strange with Wong peeping out on the side, and my jaw dropped. I joked about having a petition called ‘Wong for Wong.’ One day, I got this mysterious email asking me to audition.”
Fortunately, the actor aced his audition and eventually got the gig when he was on the set ofMarco Polo, and immediately reached out to hisThe Martianco-star.
Also read:Sir Ian McKellen’s Magneto Reportedly Cut from Doctor Strange 2 as Marvel Feared He Would’ve Hijacked Benedict Cumberbatch’s Screen Time
Wong Was Almost Cut FromDoctor Strange(2016)
Since making his MCU debut, Benedict Wong’s character has become an integral part of the magic segment of the MCU. However, according to director Scott Derrickson, he almost didn’t include Wong in the firstDoctor Strange, following the Asian stereotypes that he was built on in Marvel Comics. Luckily that didn’t end up being the case, as the character was rewritten for his live-action appearance, and instead of being a servant, he was a friend and mentor to Doctor Strange.
Also read:“They asked for 33 rewrites”: Doctor Strange 2 Star Blasts Marvel, Claims Studio’s Heavy Interference Killed Benedict Cumberbatch’s Sequel
It does showcase that shifting from the source material may end up benefiting the story in certain circumstances, and fans can’t wait to witness more of Wong in the ever-expanding MCU.
Doctor Strangeis available to stream on Disney Plus.
Source:Variety
Santanu Roy
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2539
Santanu Roy is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on movies, with over 2,000 articles under his belt. He has been pursuing a degree in Animation and possesses a deep love for the medium of animation. Having spent the better part of the last two years pumping out articles for FW, Santanu excels at covering movie analysis and news surrounding Pixar, DCU, DreamWorks, and Batman’s cinematic legacy.With psychological thrillers and intimate slice-of-life dramas ranking among his favorite genres, Santanu is a big admirer of Luca Guadagnino, Shane Black, Park Chan-wook, and Brad Bird.
