She-Hulk Actor Benedict Wong Talks Life in the Wong Cinematic Universe

If there’s a Marvel movie these days, there’s a good chance Benedict Wong will show up.

The actor, who plays the dedicated Sorcerer Supreme – also known simply as Wong – has become a unifying thread in Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After appearances in both Avengers: Infinity War and avengers: endgame, Wong also showed up 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 boss Kevin Feige emailed him saying the franchise was “quickly becoming WCU,” or the Wong Cinematic Universe.

“I’ve got the email, I’m seriously considering getting it as a wallpaper,” jokes Wong The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m just enjoying playing this role and where it’s taking me. Every single project they invite me to do, it just peels off another onion, you know? You’ll 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 evident that Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany) even acknowledged it.

“God, everyone loves Wong,” Jen Walters says to the camera in episode four. “It’s like giving the show Twitter armor for a week.”

“I’m really encouraged, you know?” Wong adds about the social media attention. “The Marvel fans kind of warmed to me, and I’m grateful for that. I take my work very seriously in terms of acting, but I also really enjoy having fun in this universe.”

Chatting with The Hollywood ReporterWong, who joined Marvel in 2016 Doctor Strangetalks about the future of 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 appearing in so many different Marvel films, and most recently you were in two episodes of She Hulk.

It’s such a vibe, isn’t it? The show itself is so refreshing. It’s absolutely amazing. I just jumped in to watch, and I just said to my wife, “I haven’t been to my episodes yet, but I just loved this show.” That’s a huge credit to these incredible women who led a very respectful set and there was so much creativity [there]. And then with Tatyana [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. I had never really met Tatiana and Ginger, but I just saw this super fast type of table tennis rally [between them].

Throughout Phase 4, it feels like your character, Wong, is a major connecting thread through the films and shows. They said last year Kevin Feige called it the “Wong Cinematic Universe” in an email. Since then, the WCU has really picked up momentum on Twitter. How do you respond to that kind of dynamic for the character?

I have the email, I’m seriously considering getting it as my wallpaper. No, I told the internet, and now it’s everywhere. But that’s really nice of him. To me I’m like an overexcited puppy when I get the call from him you know? Like, “Hey, do you want to be in X?” And that’s coming from me, personally, because I’m such a Marvel fan. Growing up as a kid, reading Spiderman comics, and then just finding myself in this world and finding a character named Wong. I’m just enjoying playing this role and where it’s taking me. Every single project they invite me to do, it just peels off another onion, you know? You’ll learn a little more about the eccentricities of the Sorcerer Supreme.

And when things explode on Twitter, do you ever pay attention to that kind of reaction on social media?

Yes I mean, [they] Send me stuff, and then you just go down a bit of a curious rabbit hole. I’m really encouraged you know? The Marvel fans kind of warmed to me, and I’m grateful for that. I take my work as it relates to acting very seriously, but I also really enjoy having fun in this universe. I watched episode four [of She-Hulk] today and simply marvel at the work of the VFX team. Just a simple hand gesture of the movement there that I can play and then what they can complement. Or just a flick of your arm and suddenly something else appears. And for me that’s just the realm of being the big kid I’ve always been. I just have the most incredible team around me to make it all happen. It looks visually stunning, especially with all the goblins [in episode four].

For this scene in particular, there must have been dozens of goblins that the VFX team added in post-production. Since the goblins aren’t actually there to fight them during filming, just wing it?

Yes, exactly. No idea. They just give you, you know, “Here’s your fog and mirrors.” And you have a little stick and you swing it around, or you pretend to grab things and throw them into something. You just have no idea. You really are at their mercy and they save you. They save you so much.

in the She Hulk In episode four we also meet Madisynn, played by Patty Guggenheim, who befriends the Sorcerer Supreme. This allows us to see your character in a different setting by just chilling and watching at home The sopranos. Did you enjoy discovering a side of him that we’ve never seen before?

It is not true? It’s a window into Wong’s world. What happens when we are not on these missions that we have to complete. Just seeing him giving himself some kind of rest, watching him settle down with a biscuit in his mouth. And then the incredible Patty Guggenheim falls from the sky, who is one of the runaways in this episode and deserves all the flowers. She was one of the members of The Groundlings, and she was always gone with the staffer of the week whenever I was there. Her improvisational skills – You forget that you should play with her because you are only concerned with amazement.

Tatiana is a newcomer to the MCU, as is Simu Liu Shang Chi and Xochitl Gomez Doctor Strange. As a veteran of the franchise, is it your job to welcome them?

Yes. It’s funny because I remember Simu. When they were filming, I think when they saw me arrive they finally realized they were in a Marvel movie. I put my wax seal of approval on it, so to speak. I mean, of course, what can I do other than say, “Welcome to the MCU” – or sorry, the WCU or whatever. And whatever learning curves and curveballs I can add or whatever type of advice I can offer, I’m always there. Especially with Xochitl, who’s just a big-eyed rabbit in the headlights. I think it’s really kind of a duty of being a member of a big ensemble to calm and reassure people.

[For She-Hulk,] It’s also kudos to Tatiana. It’s tough, isn’t it? You go in and control something, introduce a new superhero character. And what makes it so different from the others? I really enjoyed seeing the vulnerability of it, the frustrations of it, and coming into the empowerment of it. I have no doubt that She-Hulk will be one of the MCU’s MVPs.

There is a movement among fans for a Wong series. Do you still hope so?

You know, a lot of people have said that. Yes, I’m sure I can think of some ideas. But hey, it’s not my place to force that. If you ever see someone, post the question there. I mean, look, I love playing this role and I think there’s so much more scope that we could do with a series, yeah.

The interview has been edited for length and clarity. She Hulk streams Thursdays on Disney+.