We know Wong will make an appearance in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, but where's Doctor Strange? If that fight tournament has the sort of stakes we've been led to believe, then you'd think the Sorcerer Supreme would take on The Abomination!
In the first Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer, we saw Wong setting off for parts unknown, leading many fans to wonder if the events of that movie take place at the same time as Shang-Chi.
Talking to Bro Bible, filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton suggested that there is a good reason for Strange's absence. "I will respond by saying you’re not alone in asking that question and there is a very clear answer to that question. All of those types of, ‘Where people are in the universe at this particular moment,’ there are clear reasons why Doctor Strange is not there."
"I wish we could’ve put Doctor Strange in our movie," the director added. "But there are very clear reasons why the characters who showed up could show up very briefly, there’s also a very clear reason why they’re not physically in the room. But, all of that is a big conversation with Kevin [Feige] and the producers and directors who are working on other things."
We're now pretty confident that the reason for Strange's absence is indeed because he's helping Peter Parker as he deals with the Multiverse (of Madness), and it's likely we'll learn more when Spider-Man: No Way Home is released. Wong is expected to have a leading role in the next Doctor Strange movie, of course, so we certainly don't think the upcoming sequel is the reason for his Shang-Chi absence.
Make sure to check back here next week for more on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings!