Wong is the true protagonist of Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
'Everyone loves Wong'. Jennifer Walters has no problem recognizing that the new Marvel Cinematic Universe Sorcerer Supreme is a figure so beloved by fans of the franchise that she deserves a respectable role within her own series. Within a pantheon of figures such as super-soldiers or hi-tech knights, the role of the shoulder is not often rewarded, if we think that the only one to have obtained a promotion on the field was Sam Wilson, who passed from Cap's sidekick to the new Sentinel. of Liberty. Yet, Phase Four seems to see in the new Sorcerer Supreme no longer a simple side character, to the point that we can consider Wong as the true protagonist of Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Click here to subscribe Disney + to 1 , 99 € for one month. Only until 9/19 Since his first appearance in Doctor Strange, where the magician played by Benedict Wong had an almost mentor role for the enterprising Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), slowly this curious master of the mystical arts has been able to be appreciated by fans of the franchise, who were captivated by this particular mix of irony and authority with which Wong showed himself in his subsequent appearances. Net of the sympathy aroused, the return of Wong in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law as a recurring presence confirms how his figure is central to the development of Phase Four of the franchise, echoing a role similarly played previously by another darling of the public: Phil Coulson.
What if the real protagonist of Phase Four is Wong?
Being a shoulder in the Marvel Cinematic Universe Wong, the new Sorcerer Supreme Wong's futureBeing a shoulder in Marvel Cinematic Universe
Thinking back to the first moments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe it is easy to be fascinated by the presence of Iron Man, Captain America and Thor, but going beyond this fascination you can see how the glue of these characters was Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) . Since his first appearance in Iron Man (2008), Coulson has been our viaticum in getting to know the various characters who were slowly populating the superhero world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, a friendly presence, which culminated in a role, in its own way. heroic: his death in Avengers (2012), suitably used by Fury, is the real catalyst for the birth of the Avengers.Although later resurrected with the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. series, Coulson's sacrificial role has not been thwarted, especially now that the behind-the-scenes series of Marvel Cinematic Universe's great feats no longer comes. considered as part of the official continuity of the saga. A decision that leads us to see Coulson all the more as a predecessor of the role that our Wong is currently having, that is, that of catalyst for the new characters who joined the franchise in Phase Four. In Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Wong is the one who ultimately draws Shang-Chi into a larger heroic dimension of the world, in Doctor Strange in the multiverse of Madness in the finale he seems to become the mentor of the young America Chavez, and now in She-Hulk he appears as the one who involves an initially reluctant Jennifer Walters to feel part of the superhero community.
Not bad for a character who after his first appearance had been given away to decidedly minor roles in the final two chapters of the Avengers saga (Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame), but who seems to have found in the five years of the Blip an opportunity to carve out greater importance. Above all, considering that following Strange's disappearance following Thanos' snap of fingers in Infinity War s, Wong was awarded the title of Sorcerer Supreme, an appointment he retained even after Strange's return.
For this reason it was the Ancient who designated Strange as his successor, the former surgeon has shown to have a remarkable ability, but also a tendency to slip into situations that are quite different than worthy of a Supreme Sorcerer. In No Way Home we had this confirmation, with Wong instead trying to warn Strange of the dangers of his actions. A quick exchange of words in which it emerges how Wong is inclined to follow the dictates of the role more precisely, creating a funny, as well as authoritative, contrast with Strange, sharpened in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, at the end of which we witness a central moment in the relationship between Wong and Strange: Stephen, after avoiding him throughout the film, bows to Wong. It is the recognition of Wong's role that makes him further central to the dynamics of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. And this further makes Wong the protagonist of Phase Four of the saga.
At a time when magic and the world of the paranormal, coupled with the emergence of the multiverse, is guiding fans of the franchise in a direction never before taken by saga, the presence of a mystical arts expert of Wong's caliber is an important asset for the saga. Strange's latest adventure has given us a profoundly different Stephen, far from the leading role of the franchise's superae community that everyone, heroes and spectators, needs, but the narrative structure of the saga has shown us, over the years. , to need an element of contact between the different characters, someone who, even on an emotional level, would help fans to perceive this variegated universe as cohesive. In the past the role was played by Coulson or by Fury, but the sudden change of structure of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, strongly destabilized by the events of Avengers: Endgame, made it necessary for the presence of a new familiar face to guide us in this universe in constant expansion, a role that has apparently now fallen on Wong's shoulders.
Wong's future
Seeing Wong inheriting, on a conceptual level, the role previously played by Coulson or Fury, considered their fate comes from worrying about the fate of the sympathetic Sorcerer Supreme. If Fury has apparently retired from the scene, with perhaps one last adventure pending Secret Invasion, Coulson is still regarded today as a fan-favorite character, precisely because of his sacrificial role in bringing the Avengers to life.Looking back on how Wong is moving in the Marvel Cinematic Universe during Phase Four, his role as a trait d'union is different from that of his predecessors, played more on an ironic level and which represents a point of view on the events of the different franchise, much closer to the spectators. The same characterization of the character, good-natured as well as undoubtedly powerful on a magical level, allows you to create a narrative in which his presence makes new narrative elements more understandable, such as demons and shadow creatures, which we know will soon arrive in the franchise. This role, however, puts him at risk of being such a beloved figure that his eventual sacrifice would become too tempting for the screenwriters, an opportunity to show once again the true temper of a hero, ready to take the extreme act just to fulfill their role. The only hope is that if we ever get to this point, our Wong, the protagonist of Phase Four, is at least guaranteed to reach the conclusion of his beloved The Sopranos.
