As we near the end of Phase Four (no, really, it’s true), a surprising star has emerged as the true MVP of this slice of the MCU. It’s Wong, with Benedict Wong’s Sorcerer Supreme appearing in more entries in this phase than any other character.
From Shang-Chi to Spider-Man: No Way Home, Wong has been such a dependable and welcome addition to Phase Four β or Phase Wong β that’s become a huge fan favorite. In fact, he’s now so beloved that not even Batman can beat him in a popularity contest.
Find that hard to believe? The numbers don’t lie. Twitter user @SauravJora made the shocking discovery by comparing two @DiscussingFilm tweets. Last October, Michael Keaton’s return as Batman in The Flash was officially confirmed at DC FanDome, with the corresponding tweet earning 8,682 likes. Meanwhile, the news that Wong will be back once again in She-Hulk has 30.5K likes and counting.
To be fair, the news that Keaton was back for The Flash had leaked out prior to the DC FanDome announcement, so many were already familiar with it by the time the tweet was posted. Meanwhile, Wong’s role in She-Hulk came as much more of a pleasant surprise for fans. Still, you can’t deny the math. More Wong is officially a bigger deal than more Batman. Yet another battle that DC has lost to Marvel this weekend.
The new She-Hulk trailer that was just revealed at Comic-Con showcased Wong in action, as he enlists Jennifer Walters (Tatiana Maslany), the cousin of Bruce Banner, for help in protecting the universe from whatever the latest threat to reality is. In doing so, the trailer emphasizes how Wong is essentially the MCU’s current Nick Fury figure, helping to connect the latest generation of heroes to the wider franchise.
Ironically, Keaton’s Bruce is supposed to become the DCEU’s Nick Fury himself, but we won’t see him in action until Batgirl gets here. Catch Wong in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, debuting Aug. 17 on Disney Plus.