It might be safe to say the Ming-Na Wen has never been more badass than as Fennec Shand in Disney+’s line-up of Star Wars TV show spin-offs. However, that being said, it should not go unnoticed that the Book of Boba Fett cast member has already been playing badass characters on the big screen and the small screen in either live-action or animated settings for much of her career.
If you are in need of refresher on this topic, perhaps we should take a look at some of the best Ming-Na Wen movies and TV shows now available on streaming and/or as a digital rental or purchase. We will start with a show that you may have likely already seen if you call yourself a fan of the Chinese-born actress’ performance as Fennec Shand.
The Mandalorian (Disney+)
A masked, interplanetary bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal) has a change of heart when he discovers his latest retrieval assignment is a child of rare breed and forgotten power, for whom he becomes a surrogate father and protector.
Why it’s worth checking out if you like Ming-Na Wen: Ming-Na Wen made her first appearance as Fennec Shand on the fifth episode of The Mandalorian as an enemy of the titular hero before returning in Season 2 as his ally and a companion of Temuera Morrison as Boba Fett.
Stream The Mandalorian on Disney+.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch (Disney+)
A group of highly-skilled, genetically engineered clones (all voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) band together on a trek through the galaxy in search of a reason why they were the only ones of their kind on the side of the Jedi in the aftermath of the Clone Wars.
Why it’s worth checking out if you like Ming-Na Wen: Following her revival on The Mandalorian Season 2 and before reprising the character again on The Book of Boba Fett, Ming-Na Wen returned as Fennec Shand in the form of a voice role on Disney+'s Star Wars: The Bad Batch for two episodes of the action-packed, animated series.
Stream Star Wars: The Bad Batch on Disney+.
Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. (Netflix)
The mysteriously resurrected Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) - a top-ranking agent of the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division - puts together an elite team of covert operatives to help keep tabs on the safety of the earth in the aftermath of the game-changing events in New York City in 2012.
Why it’s worth checking out if you like Ming-Na Wen: Before becoming a part of the Star Wars Universe, Ming-Na Wen was already a member of the Disney Family, as seen by her role on Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. - one of the most beloved Marvel TV shows despite barely counting as canon anymore - as experienced, multi-talented S.H.I.E.L.D. operative Melinda May for all 136 episodes of the ABC original series.
Stream Agents Of Shield on Netflix.
Buy Agents Of Shield on Amazon.
Mulan (Disney+)
When her elderly father is summoned to defend China from an emerging threat, a young maiden (Ming-Na Wen) disguises herself as the opposite sex in order to take his place and leads the army to victory with help from a plucky, bumbling dragon (Eddie Murphy) sent by her ancient ancestors.
Why it’s worth checking out if you like Ming-Na Wen: In her first instance of being a part of the Disney Family, Ming-Na Wen lent her voice to the title role of 1998’s Mulan - a thrilling, beloved, Oscar-nominated animated epic based on a real Chinese legend with a strong commentary on gender equality that was later adapted into a live-action film in 2020, which Wen would also make a special cameo appearance for.
Stream Mulan on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Mulan on Amazon.
Ralph Breaks The Internet (Disney+)
A reformed video game villain (Academy Award nominee John C. Reilly) and his sharp-tongued, young friend (Sarah Silverman) use a recently installed Wi-Fi router to escape the arcade they live inside and venture into the World Wide Web.
Why it’s worth checking out if you like Ming-Na Wen: Just two years before appearing in 2020’s Mulan remake, Ming-Na Wen reprised the character herself when she lent her voice to the hit animated sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet, which hilariously depicts a crossover of just about every animated Disney princess on record amid a dizzying display of other references to the company's extensive IP.
Stream Ralph Breaks The Internet on Disney+.
Rent/Buy Ralph Breaks The Internet on Amazon.
Todd McFarlane’s Spawn (HBO Max)
A government assassin (Keith David) is murdered by his boss and sent to Hell where he is resurrected as the reluctant leader of Satan’s army, only to use his new abilities as a protector of innocence and punisher of corruption on Earth, which ignites a war for his soul between the opposing ends of the afterlife.
Why it’s worth checking out if you like Ming-Na Wen: Playing the lead of Mulan would actually launch a very impressive career for Ming-Na Wen as a voice actor and one of her most notable roles following the hit Disney movie was a recurring stint as the angelic Jade on Spawn - the Emmy-winning, HBO original animated adaptation of Todd McFarlane’s celebrated horror comic book series which aired from 1997 to 1999.
Stream Spawn on HBO Max.
Buy Spawn on Amazon.
The Batman (HBO Max)
After returning to the crime-ridden metropolis he grew up in after spending years training abroad, young billionaire Bruce Wayne (Rino Romano) assumes a dark, symbolic identity to protect his city, indirectly attracting the attention of new bizarre and threatening personalities.
Why it’s worth checking out if you like Ming-Na Wen: Jade on Todd McFarlane’s Spawn would not be the last voice acting role in an animated superhero TV show for Ming-Na Wen, who also had a recurring stint as Gotham City detective Ellen Yin on The Batman - a unique and surprisingly sophisticated reimagining of the Dark Knight’s early years fighting crime that began airing on The CW (then The WB) around the same time Batman Begins was released.
Stream The Batman on HBO Max.
Buy The Batman on Amazon.
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (HBO Max)
After becoming infected with particles originating from an extra-terrestrial threat, a brilliant young scientist (Ming-Na) joins forces with her old flame (Alec Baldwin) and his military crew in hopes to save the Earth and herself from the strange, phantom-like enemy in 2056.
Why it’s worth checking out if you like Ming-Na Wen: One of the more notable animated movies of Ming-Na Wen’s voice acting career following the success of Mulan was 2001’s Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within - an adaptation of the successful series of video games in which the actress plays the ambitious central hero.
Stream Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within on HBO Max.
Rent/Buy Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within on Amazon.
Street Fighter (Amazon Rental)
A hardened colonel (Jean-Claude Van Damme) leads an army of soldiers into the country of Shadaloo where they take on the eccentric dictator General M. Bison (Raul Julia), who has captured many people and transformed some of them into grotesque mutant creatures.
Why it’s worth checking out if you like Ming-Na Wen: Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within was not the first video game movie starring Ming-Na Wen, who also played vengeful reporter Chun-Li in 1994’s Street Fighter - writer and director Steven E. de Souza’s endearingly cheesy, engrossingly surreal feature-length adaptation of the arcade classic.
Rent/Buy Street Fighter on Amazon.
ER (Hulu)
The personal and social lives of the emergency room staff at the County General Hospital in Chicago, Illinois, tend to frequently intersect with the already intense, life-or-death pressure they face in their professional lives on a daily basis.
Why it’s worth checking out if you like Ming-Na Wen: After starring in Street Fighter, Ming-Na joined the ER cast as Dr. Jing-Mei Debra "Deb" Chen during its premiere season in 1995 and stayed on as a series regular for creator Michael Crichton’s long-running, NBC original medical drama until 2004.
Stream ER on Hulu.
Buy ER on Amazon.
The Joy Luck Club (IMDb TV)
The lives of four American-born young women intersect as they each struggle to figure out how to navigate their difficult relationships with their native Chinese-born mothers while living in San Francisco.
Why it’s worth checking out if you like Ming-Na Wen: Before joining ER, Ming-Na Wen had actually previously broken out as a TV star on the soap opera As the World Turns in the late 1980s, but her breakout role in a feature film came in 1993 when she played June in The Joy Luck Club - the critically acclaimed, award-winning adaptation of Amy Tan’s highly influential novel.
Stream The Joy Luck Club on IMDb TV.
Rent/Buy The Joy Luck Club on Amazon.
One notable title I wanted to mention but could not include on our list due to its lack of availability on streaming or even for digital purchase is the Emmy-nominated Stargate Universe, on which Ming-Na Wen played Camille Wray for its entire two-season run on SyFy. Fans should also keep a lookout for when the actress reunites with her Mulan co-stars B.D. Wong and James Hong for Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai - an animated series taking place before the events of the classic horror-comedy movies that will be available for streaming exclusively on HBO Max.
