Thereafter, he appeared in the commercial of Chinese dietary supplement brand Huang Jin Da Dang in 2002.

[3] In 2014, Wu appeared in the wuxia series Romance of the Condor Heroes produced by Yu Zheng.

[11][12] In 2017, Wu took on his first small screen leading role in the fantasy web series Magic Star.

[29] In 2021, Wu co-starred in the acclaimed historical series The Long Ballad alongside Dilraba Dilmurat; his portrayal received high praise, further boosting his popularity.

While filming a scene on set in August 2021, a prop malfunctioned and exploded in Wu's face.

[31] In 2022, he starred in the popular historical romance series Love like The Galaxy alongside Zhao Lusi.

Wu Lei was cast in the films Dwelling by the West Lake by Gu Xiaogang and All Ears by Liu Jiayin, and the metropolitan romance drama Nothing but You along with Zhou Yutong.

[32] In 2024, he starred in the popular romantic drama Amidst a Snowstorm of Love alongside Zhao Jinmai.