Marvel Studios produced two of its strongest live-action TV shows for Disney Plus last year. Echo started things on a much more mature note, showcasing what the Marvel Cinematic Universe could do with a TV-MA rating, while Agatha All Along earned the franchise the acclaim it once constantly received for harkening back to the Emmy-nominated days of WandaVision. It's a good indication of how the MCU has managed to stabilize its somewhat flawed approach to small screen stories over the past few years, and it bodes well for the next generation of shows from the franchise.
Things are continuing to look up for the franchise too, as the next Disney Plus series is none other than Daredevil: Born Again. The revival of the Daredevil Netflix series that has been nearly a decade in the making, the first trailer has been unveiled and it's clear that it's looking to channel its predecessor's gritty ways to continue reaching new heights - something that it looks like it's successfully about to do.
Now, in the midst of an exciting time for the MCU's small screen outings and their future, a new report has suggested that the long-awaited show that the studio has reportedly been working on may finally be about to come to fruition.
Marvel "officially" greenlights Strange Academy, according to insider
Over the past six months there have been a number of reports suggesting that Marvel Studios is working on developing a Strange Academy series, but it appears that things are moving in a positive direction for that potential series. Prolific insider Daniel Richtman has revealed that Strange Academy has been officially greenlit to move forward at the studio, which means it could very well be heading to our screens in the near future.
While nobody at Marvel has spoken about the existence of a Strange Academy series, Head of Streaming, Television and Animation Brad Winderbaum did previously reveal to Entertainment Weekly that the studio's new approach to streaming television is that they are "developing a lot of shows now simultaneously" in a way that is much more like traditional television. That allows them to "write multiple pilots and show bibles" before deciding what they want to greenlight, ultimately ensuring that the concept is feasible for TV. It sounds like Strange Academy is one of the projects that they were happy enough with to move forward with it.
In the pages of Marvel Comics, the academy is set up by Doctor Strange himself so that he can train future sorcerers of the Marvel Universe. According to rumors, the series would have Wong fill that role instead, meaning that Benedict Wong would likely be the one headlining it. And that does make sense when you take everything into account, particularly the fact that Benedict Cumberbatch's Doctor Strange is already headlining his own film franchise (with a third film expected to shoot during or after the upcoming two Avengers movies that he will no doubt be co-starring in).
Wong has made a number of appearances throughout the MCU's ongoing Multiverse Saga, but his most significant came in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There, he was seemingly preparing to train America Chavez to harness her abilities in the same way that the Ancient One taught Stephen Strange in the first movie. And given that Wong is the current Sorcerer Supreme, it makes sense that he oversees the training of the next generation of magic users in the MCU.
If the show does eventually arrive on screens that doesn't rule out an appearance from the character in Doctor Strange 3. Wong has been an imperative part of the Doctor Strange franchise (it's where we first met him, after all) so it goes without saying that any sequel would miss his presence. Furthermore, Benedict Wong has found a way to pop up in multiple titles throughout the Multiverse Saga, including two (very nearly three) consecutively-released movies, so we're sure Marvel would find a way to incorporate him into both. After all, we wouldn't be surprised to see a cameo from Doctor Strange himself in the potential Disney Plus series at some point.
We have covered the constant updates on the Strange Academy series over the past few months, and it's safe to say that this is the most promising of them all. While it's unlikely that the project would be completed early enough to be a part of the Multiverse Saga (which concludes with the two-parter set of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars), we'll probably see Wong multiple times before that chapter concludes in those two aforementioned movies. And whenever Strange Academy does come around, we will be ready and waiting.