‘The Karate Kid’: Ming-Na Wen Joins Sony’s Sequel With Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, & Ben Wang

Sony’s new Karate Kid movie is adding a dose of Star Wars flavor. Then again, Ming-Na Wen has been a part of many fan-favorite franchises, so reducing it to just one seems unfair. Variety confirms that Wen has joined Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio in the new movie that ties together the original trilogy with the 2010 revival.

It’s unclear what Ming-Na Wen’s role will be, as much of the film remains a mystery. The news arrives just weeks after American Born Chinese actor Ben Wang was cast as the titular lead. Also in the cast are Joshua Jackson, and Sadie Stanley who will play the love interest.

Somehow, this new movie isn’t directly connected to Netflix’s hit Cobra Kai series, which also stars Macchio as Daniel LaRusso and continues the legacy of the original trilogy. How is that supposed to work? Anyway, the new film is directed by Jonathan Entwistle from a script by Rob Lieber.

Wen has recently seen playing the role of Fennec Shand in The Book of Boba Fett and The Bad Batch. She also played “The Bus” Melinda May in Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD, and starred in Disney’s Mulan. Coming up for her is a role opposite Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti in Peachville.

The Karate Kid hits theaters on December 13th.

Travis Hopson
Travis Hopson has been reviewing movies before he even knew there was such a thing. Having grown up on a combination of bad '80s movies, pro wrestling, comic books, and hip-hop, Travis is uniquely positioned to geek out on just about everything under the sun. A vampire who walks during the day and refuses to sleep, Travis is the co-creator and lead writer for Punch Drunk Critics. He is also a contributor to Good Morning Washington, WBAL Morning News, and WETA Around Town. In the five minutes a day he's not working, Travis is also a voice actor, podcaster, and Twitch gamer. Travis is a voting member of the Critics Choice Association (CCA), Washington DC Area Film Critics Association (WAFCA), and Late Night programmer for the Lakefront Film Festival.