Benedict Wong Shares Funny Doctor Strange Casting Story

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Benedict Wong shares a funny Doctor Strange casting story. With Black Widow kicking off Phase 4, the MCU is prepared to expand in big ways through a combination of its films and Disney+ series. One of the first examples of this will be Doctor Strange 2, which is set to star Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Tom Hiddleston’s God of Mischief, likely picking up where their storylines left off in their respective series, WandaVision and Loki.

Released in 2016, Doctor Strange chronicles Stephen Strange’s transformation from narcissistic neurosurgeon to selfless sorcerer following an accident that causes nerve damage in his hands. Strange has gone on to appear in multiple MCU films since then, but next year he will finally be getting another solo outing, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, alongside many new and returning faces. America Chavez (Xochitl Gomez) is one intriguing character, considering her ability to traverse the multiverse. Returning characters include Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), the villain Mordo (Chiwetel Ejiofor), and Wong (Benedict Wong).

RELATED: How Loki's Ending Sets Up 5 MCU Phase 4 Movies & TV Shows

Now, in an interview with Variety, Benedict Wong shares a funny story about how he was originally cast in Doctor Strange. The actor has recently been promoting the deeply moving drama Nine Days, which he stars in, so naturally he is being asked about his MCU role as well. Wong was asked about the role his Doctor Strange co-star Chiwetel Ejiofor played in him being cast, who he also starred with in 2002’s Dirty Pretty Things, 2015’s The Martian, and 2022's Doctor Strange 2. Below is the full story as told by Wong:

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. I got the part when I was on the set of Marco Polo; I was dressed as Kublai Khan and sitting on a throne, not being able to tell anyone. I texted Chiwetel and said, “I think I’m going to have to borrow your lawyer.” He texts back, “Wong for Wong?” And I replied, “Wong is Wong.”

Wong’s story highlights the amusing coincidence that he shares a name with the character he portrays in the MCU. As the librarian of Kamar-Taj, the character is loosely based on his Marvel comics counterpart of the same name, but when he was introduced in 2016's Doctor Strange, Wong was changed to be a mentor for the titular sorcerer rather than his servant.

Although Shang-Chi will showcase plenty more, Wong has been one of the most prominent Asian stars to make appearances across the MCU. His character proved to be crucial in the fight against Ebony Maw and Cull Obsidian in Avengers: Infinity War. He also opened various portals during Endgame to bring the Avengers into the final battle against Thanos. Wong’s next appearance will be in Shang-Chi as he takes on Abomination in the film’s fighting pits. Five years after he was cast in Doctor Strange, fans would likely not want to see any other actor playing Wong than Wong.

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