Wong Became the New Sorcerer Supreme After Doctor Strange's Unexpected Leave of Absence

The title of Sorcerer Supreme is an important one in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As the name suggests, the honor is bestowed onto a magic practitioner who has greater command over mystic arts than anyone else. Being Sorcerer Supreme also comes with responsibilities, as those with the title must use their immense power to protect their realm from otherworldly dangers and threats. In the MCU, the title currently belongs to Wong (Benedict Wong). But this wasn't always the case.

Wong was first introduced in 2016's Doctor Strange, when he was the head librarian of Kamar-Taj, the Nepal-based headquarters for the Masters of the Mystic Arts. He assists Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) in learning how to harness magic. After assisting Stephen in the battle against Dormammu, the two become close allies as Wong helps him continue his magical studies.

At that time, Stephen served as the Sorcerer Supreme. But a horrible cosmic event caused the title to be passed to Wong.

While Wong seemed content enough to serve as Stephen's right-hand man, Stephen has always proven reckless with his magic. In Avengers: Infinity War, Stephen places everything on the line. As Earth's mightiest heroes try to stop the Mad Titan Thanos (Josh Brolin) from collecting all of the Infinity Stones, Stephen peeks into several million attempts to see which one has the best outcome. With only one chance to save the world, Stephen does the unthinkable.

In exchange for the life of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), Stephen gives up the Time Stone. This allows Thanos to use the full power of the Stones to erase half of all organic life in the universe. Stephen himself is erased as well. Though this is all part of the plan, the payoff wouldn't come for another five years.

Unfortunately, this leaves Earth without a Sorcerer Supreme. In the midst of the Blip, the title is passed down to Wong.

We can presume that Wong wasted no time in trying to bring the world back to order during the Blip. While his actions are never seen on screen, Earth is able to achieve some form of stability under his watch. Upon Doctor Strange's return, he even has an entire army of sorcerers ready in the final fight against Thanos and his army. Of course, he comes to Stephen's aid once more as the consequences of the doctor's actions catch up with him.

Even with Stephen's return, Wong remains the Sorcerer Supreme. He sure has his work cut out for him now as well. After Stephen inadvertently meddles with the fabric of the multiverse in Spider-Man: No Way Home, the barriers between realities begin to crumble. As Stephen tries to correct his mistakes in the latest Marvel film, Wong comes to his aid once more.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness hits theaters on May 6.