Spider-Man: No Way Home Debunks Shang-Chi's Wong Theory

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Wong's small role in Spider-Man: No Way Home invalidates the theory that the new Sorcerer Supreme left the Sanctum Sanctorum to his fight against Abomination in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Unlike Sam Raimi's Spider-Man 3 and The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man: No Way Home successfully included a huge cast of characters without hurting Peter Parker's story. Among Spider-Man's multiversal villains, Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Men, Peter's loved ones, and Doctor Strange, one small but meaningful role teased what's next to come for the MCU: Wong, who's revealed to be the new Sorcerer Supreme.

After the death of the Ancient One, Doctor Strange became the best candidate for the title of Sorcerer Supreme. Strange's victories over Kaecilius, Dormammu, and Thanos seemed like big enough achievements. However, Spider-Man: No Way Home reveals that somewhere between the events of Avengers: Endgame and the aftermath of Spider-Man's battle with Mysterio, Wong technically became Doctor Strange's boss.

Whatever caused Wong to earn the title of Sorcerer Supreme is expected to be revealed in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But for now, Spider-Man: No Way Home has clarified another question many had since the first trailer was released. Here's where Wong traveled to while Doctor Strange cast his memory-wiping spell.

Where Fans Thought Wong Was Going In Shang-Chi

Wong vs Abomination fight Shang chi explains Avengers Infinity war mystery

Phase 4 gave Wong a much bigger role within the MCU despite the short duration of his cameo appearances. One of the many highlights of Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is the scene where Wong fights Abomination in the Macau underground martial arts tournament. To the surprise of many, Wong and Abomination seemed to have been sparring for a long time before Shang-Chi arrived to witness them. Even more surprisingly, Wong casually took Emil Blosky back to what appeared to be a maximum-security prison, which many believe to be the Raft. Since Wong's departure in Spider-Man: No Way Home was confirmed in the first trailer, it was logical to assume that the beginning of No Way Home would precede the championship scenes from Shang-Chi.

Another alternative was that after his fight with Abomination, Wong would meet with other MCU characters, possibly making Wong the MCU's magical equivalent to Nick Fury, in the sense that he recruited powerful characters in order to make a new superteam. While the Shang-Chi post-credits scene supports this new side of Wong's MCU story with the sorcerer welcoming Shang-Chi and Katy to the Avengers, Spider-Man: No Way Home doesn't give him a new hero to recruit. Instead, it sets up Wong's role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

No Way Home Debunks Wong Theory

Doctor Strange in Avengers Infinity War and Wong in Spider-Man No Way Home

As soon as Tom Holland's Peter Parker enters the Sanctum Sanctorum in Spider-Man: No Way Home, he learns that Wong has earned the title of Sorcerer Supreme instead of Doctor Strange. Wong is clearly in a rush, and right after telling Strange not to use the memory-wiping spell due to its dangers, he opens a portal to Kamar-Taj in Nepal. Wong's appearance is brief, but it suggests that his new duties will require him to shift his attention away from New York's Sanctum Sanctorum. This also explains why the aftermath of the unfortunate portal to Siberia hasn't been taken care of properly — Doctor Strange may have gained a lot of experience as a sorcerer throughout the last few years, but he still retains some of the arrogant personality that keeps him from setting his priorities right.

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Now that Peter Parker accepted the side effects of Doctor Strange's spell at the end of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Sorcerer Supreme Wong must eventually realize that the multiverse is in disarray. This is particularly interesting for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, as Doctor Strange can't tell Wong what happened with the three Spider-Men and their villains as soon as he meets him in Nepal. Neither Doctor Strange nor Wong remember Peter Parker, so they will probably lose a lot of valuable time trying to understand when and how the multiverse almost breaks apart. There's simply no time for Wong to return to the Raft and keep sparring with Abomination, much less so to meet other forgotten MCU characters.

What Is Wong Doing In Kamar Taj?

While the New York Sanctorum has become an important MCU landmark due to Doctor Strange's presence, Kamar Taj has been the main headquarters of Earth's sorcerers, presumably for several hundreds or even thousands of years, as the Ancient One's age suggests. Kamar-Taj is the place where countless people find support and training, both mental and physical, to exploit their magical potential. The temple also serves as a library filled with powerful knowledge, which can be weaponized rather easily in the wrong hands. Although the Time Stone is gone after the events of Avengers: Endgame, Kamar-Taj clearly needs a veteran sorcerer who protects the place and keeps it running smoothly — and what better sorcerer than the famously law-abiding Wong?

Besides, the world is still in turmoil after the Avengers' victory over Thanos. Wong understands that a similar threat could arrive at Kamar-Taj, which is now more vulnerable than ever before due to the fact that the existence of sorcerers is public knowledge. And after the events of Spider-Man: No Way Home, Wong needs to be ready to protect the MCU's main reality from the collapsing multiverse. Even if Wong doesn't remember Peter Parker, he must know that something is wrong with whatever holds the multiverse together (which Loki revealed to be He Who Remains' Sacred Timeline). As the trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness suggests, Wong and Doctor Strange, the Earth's two most powerful sorcerers, will need the help of Scarlet Witch and America Chavez to hold the chaos that inhabits those unexplored realities.

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