Action Figure Barbecue: Wrapping Up 2025: Wong & Bats and Doctor Strange from Marvel Legends Series: Doctor Strange by Hasbro

As I'm wrapping up 2025 I'm going to be reviewing a few cool things that I received for Christmas from my family. My wife surprised me on Christmas Eve (everyone always gets to open two gifts each) with the Amazon exclusive Marvel Legends Series set of Wong, Bats, and Doctor Strange. While I haven't been buying much outside of X-Men and related mutant releases lately, I'm always still down for what seems to be the best of Hasbro's new stuff and this set was definitely on my radar. Probably on my Amazon wish list, too. :) Hasbro put out some excellent releases this year and this one really appealed to me. I love Doctor Strange and I've long wanted a comic accurate Wong figure. The movie version was a pretty good figure and I love Benedict Wong as Wong, but I tend to prefer the comic inspired versions best. It really is pretty wild that it's taken Wong over twenty years to get a Marvel Legends figure not from the films. He's a pretty prominent character. Also, I wasn't familiar with Bats until this release, but a ghost Basset Hound? I'm all for that. I've lost two of my boys over the years and I'd love them to accompany me as spectral sidekicks. A new comic Doctor Strange, the first ever comic Wong, and Bats the ghost dog? This set really sells itself! Let's check it out after the break...

The Facts: Wong

Height: 6 1/8ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, double hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball jointed hips, balljointed torso, swivel/ hinge shoulders w/lateral pec hinges, bicep swivels, double hinged elbows, swivel/hinge wrists, and a barbell jointed head.

Accessories: 6 swappable hands and 2 swappable chakra hands.

The Facts: Bats

Height: 1 1/2 inches

Articulation: None

Accessories: Floating stand

The Facts: Doctor Strange

Height: 6 1/4ths inches

Articulation: Swivel/hinge ankles, boot swivels, double-hinged knees, swivel thighs, ball-jointed hips, swivel waist, hinged mid-torso, swivel/hinge shoulders, swivel/hinge elbows, swivel/ hinge wrists, hinged neck, and a ball-jointed head.

Accessories: 2 standard hands, 2 chakra effect hands, alternate head for Dormammu, and Dormammu's crown.

Non-Scalper Price: $50

Comparison:

* This new version of Doctor Strange is based on more recent looks for him in the comics, but the figure is based on the more classic Doctor Strange (on the right) from 2022. The portraits, capes, and the paintjobs are different. Similar, sure, but there are many differences between the figures that ought to please fans of the Sorcerer Supreme. If you have both you can do a bit of swapping parts to come out with two very impressive figures.

The Positives:

* Wong looks fantastic here, definitely sporting a look that is very classic and should fit in with almost any comic group that you want to put him in. Yes, I know Wong has worn different outfits, but this one feels immediately recognizable as Wong. He sporting what I believe is a Tang suit (Tangzhuang) which looks really sharp and seems to be a completely new sculpt. I don't recognize it at all. It's green with yellow cuffs and gold fasteners across the middle, complete with plenty of sculpted folds to show off the looser fit of the material. It's not as flashy as his MCU counterpart's outfit, but it definitely looks like something that wouldn't inhibit his movement, important considering Wong is a master martial artist.

* Looking at recent art, Wong seems to be portrayed much younger these days. This figure looks less youthful, more middle aged and experienced. His gaze is steely and there is quite a bit of sculpted detail in his face. The face printing is excellent, too. Wong's eyebrows are excellent and give him a lot of character.

* The sleeves are pretty cool. They're actually recessed with the wrist being a separate piece being attached inside. If you look at them crazy closeup the effect is ruined a bit but, from most normal views, these look impressive.

* Wong's articulation is excellent. There's little that inhibits his motion and everything has a great range of movement. The joints are all nice, tight, and pinless. Whether you're using him with the magical effects or having him show off his mastery of the martial arts, he's capable of some really cool poses.

* Wong comes with six swappable hands. There is a pair of grappling hands, like the martial arts hand pose "Tiger's Clawhands," a pair of standard gripping hands, and a pair of hands with the posed in a almost "snapping" gesture. Is this what's called a "Hook" hand position? I've seen it in movies before but I can't identify it. Everything swaps easily and I love the variety of hands Wong has. It's weird that he doesn't have standard fists, but I'm sure you've got some that will match him in a bin somewhere if you really want fists.

* Wong also comes with two hands making magical chakras, like in the films. Actually, these are reused from the MCU Wong figure (and probably from other prior MCU Doctor Strange figures). They look really cool molded in translucent yellow and orange plastic with intricate patterns. It's really fun to pose him in martial arts poses while using these, too.

* Bats gets his name listed on the box but he's packaged along with Wong and really seems like an accessory for Wong. He's a small (only 1 1/2 inches tall) non-articulated minifigure, but the fact that he is a glowing green ghost Basset Hound really helps him stand out in Marvel Legends. We've had thousands of figures in this line but not a ghost dog yet (right?). He's a cute little fellow with floppy features, long, droopy ears, and a cute little tail.

* He's a translucent green figure with a nice gradient of a green hue, with his paws being very pale and the top of his head being a very dark green. It's a cool effect and definitely adds more character to him. There's also a little paint app for Bats' nose, which I assume is still cold and wet, even as a spirit.

* Bats comes with a simple stand that you can place him on to have him hover around, presumably when he's not lounging on the Couch of Caeneus or napping on the Sofa of Shennong.

* This is where things get strange... because we're reviewing Doctor Strange, that is! While Doctor Strange is rocking his classic primary color scheme, what he's got here is a good bit darker than the previous figure. The symbol on his tunic is also much more pronounced, painted grey with just a tinge of blue to it. looks great. The Cloak of Levitation is a new sculpt, however, though still held in place with the Eye of Agamotto. It's not removable but it's perfectly in position and looks really dramatic on Stephen.

* The head is really unique here. It's a pretty standard looking modern Doctor Strange head (the hair definitely isn't as 1970s as the previous figure, I don't believe). The paintwork is solid, though I'm very intrigued by the eyes. They're almost a reddish gold color. Very odd, very unearthly. I do not read much modern Marvel at all so I'm not terribly familiar with a storyline this might be from or a particular artists' style this is meant to represent. It looks cool, though, and that's what counts in my book. For Marvel figures, at least. I have other things where I'm a stickler for accuracy and will get rather pedantic about any deviations.

* Not too much to say here, especially if you have the previous Strange. The articulation is solid here. Doctor Strange has pretty standard Marvel Legends articulation with all newer, pinless joints. He is solid, movable, and just a lot of fun to play around with. His hips are restricted a bit by the bottom of his tunic but it's not too bad. The legs feel much more solid than the previous release, who had legs that were a bit too rubbery, and he can absolutely stand on his own, even with the weight of the cape.

* Doctor Strange also comes with two hands forming magical chakras. They are the same as Wong's, though Strange's are molded in purple plastic. There does seem to be a bit of color differentiation from the edge to the center, which makes them look more impressive.

* Here's an interesting extra that Doctor Strange comes with: An alternate head for Dormammu! The standalone Dormammu came out in 2021 as part of the Super Villains series (with the Build-A-Figure of Xemnu) and that's most likely who this head is for. It's the same sculpt though the flames are lighter here while the mask is much darker than the flames. I think the contrast is more visually striking over the previous figure. When showing this off the Marvel Legends team had it on Strange (an allusion to the cover of one of the Doctor Strange: Damnation books), so use it with Stephen or as an alternate look for Dormammu.

* The barbed black crown doesn't always appear on Dormammu, but you can add it on if you like. I think it adds a lot to the overall look.

* The Cape of Levitation is a new sculpt here and looks nicer than before. The paint is cleaner, the details on the edge look nicer, and the shape is just overall a better design.

The Negatives:

* That being said, I do wish that Hasbro would have went ahead and given us a soft goods, wired cape here. I know not everyone likes soft goods but considering what we've seen Hasbro offer in other lines, and on some newer Legends, I think it would have been a real plus. I mean, most McFarlane figures these days are coming with wired capes, usually at a lesser price point than Hasbro. This would have been a good set to really implement a soft goods Cape of Levitation well.

* This isn't a break, but the glue did come off on my Strange's left hand while swapping out on of the effects. The forearms are glued on. I used some Loctite and now everything seems just fine. Just be careful, though.

This is a really impressive set. Wong (along with Bats) is really the winner here, but both figures are very solid releases. It's funny how inconsistent Hasbro's 2-packs and releases can be. This set comes with a lot of really cool extra stuff, including the Bats minifigure, while something like, say, Rogue and Destiny, is barebones (that review just might be happening soon, BTW). It's really bizarre. Anyways, this is a Great and a 1/2 set and adds two new characters in (well, two new comic versions). You can definitely find sales on this through Amazon from time to time, but if you dig it, it's well worth scooping up.

This is the first figure of Bats I've reviewed.

If you're looking for more of Doctor Stephen Strange then check out my reviews of Marvel Legends Series What If? Doctor Strange Supreme and Doctor Strange, and the Marvel Legends Infinite Series Doctor Strange (Marvel Heroes).

Looking for more of Wong? I've also reviewed the Marvel Legends Series Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Wong.

For more Marvel Legends Series reviews check out the following:

Marvel Legends Series by Hasbro (2016)

Binary

Crossbones

Darkstar

D'Spayre
Enchantress (Mystic Rivals)

M.O.D.O.K.
Mojo
Nico Minoru (Mystic Rivals)
Quake
Sleepwalker
Ultron

Ursa Major
U.S. Agent
Wolfsbane
Zabu

Marvel Legends Series: 85th Anniversary by Hasbro (2024)

Wolverine

Marvel Legends Series: Avengers by Hasbro
Taskmaster
Yelena Belova

Marvel Legends Series: Black Panther by Hasbro (2017)
Black Panther

Marvel Legends Series: Black Widow by Hasbro (2020)
Black Widow: Deadly Origin

Marvel Legends Series: Captain America by Hasbro (2016)
Black Panther
Demolition Man (Mercenaries of Mayhem)
Nick Fury
Nuke

Marvel Legends Series: Captain Marvel by Hasbro (2019)
Captain Marvel

Marvel Legends Series: Deadpool by Hasbro (2018)
Cable
Deadpool (Boxers)
Deadpool (X-Force)
Deathlok
Domino
Lady Deadpool
X-23 (X-Force)

Marvel Legends Series: Doctor Strange

Doctor Strange

Marvel Legends Series: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)

Wong

Marvel Legends Series: The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021)

Baron Zemo

Marvel Legends Series: Fantastic Four (2017)
Mr. Fantastic
Thing

Marvel Legends Series: Gamerverse

Civil Warrior

Marvel Legends Series: Guardians of the Galaxy by Hasbro (2017)
Angela
Groot Evolution
Yondu

Marvel Legends Series: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2 by Hasbro (2017)
Drax
Gamora (Daughters of Thanos)
Nebula (Daughters of Thanos)
Rocket Raccoon & Groot
Star-Lord
Yondu

Marvel Legends Series: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 by Hasbro (2023)
Mantis

Marvel Legends Series: The Infinity Gauntlet by Hasbro (2021)

Thanos

Marvel Legends Series: The Infninity Saga by Hasbro

Captain Marvel & Rescue Armor

Marvel Legends Series: Inhumans by Hasbro (2017)

Black Bolt
Medusa

Marvel Legends Series: Ironheart by Hasbro (2021)

Ironheart

Marvel Legends Series: Iron Man by Hasbro

Hologram Iron Man

Stealth Iron Man

Tony Stark (A.I.)

Vault Guardsman

Marvel Legends Series: Marvel Knights (2023)
Blade

Marvel Legends Series: Phoenix by Hasbro (2024)

Jean Grey and Phoenix Force

Marvel Legends Series: The Punisher by Hasbro (2019)

The Punisher

The Punisher (Walgreens Exclusive)

Punisher: War Machine

Marvel Legends Series: She-Hulk by Hasbro

She-Hulk

Marvel Legends Series: Silk by Hasbro
Silk and Doc Ock

Marvel Legends Series: Silver Surfer by Hasbro (2018)
Silver Surfer

Marvel Legends Series: Spider-Man by Hasbro
Hallow's Eve
King in Black: Knull and Venom

Marvel Legends Series: Strange Tales (2024)

Dracula

Marvel Legends Series: Super Villains by Hasbro (2021)

A.I.M. Scientist Supreme

Xemnu

Marvel Legends Series: Thor by Hasbro
Gorr
Ragnarok

Marvel Legends Series: Thor: Love and Thunder by Hasbro (2022)
Mighty Thor

Marvel Legends Series: Typhoid Mary by Hasbro (2018)
Typhoid Mary

Marvel Legends Series: The Unbelievable Gwenpool by Hasbro (2018)
Gwenpool

Marvel Legends Series: Venom by Hasbro (2018)
Carnage

Marvel Legends Series: WandaVision by Hasbro (2021)

Scarlet Witch

Marvel Legends Series: What If? by Hasbro (2021)

Captain Carter

Doctor Strange Supreme

Heist Nebula

Marvel Legends Series: Wolverine by Hasbro

Logan vs Sabretooth
Patch & Joe Fixit

Wolverine & Lilandra Neramani
Wolverine & Psylocke

Marvel Legends Series: X-Men by Hasbro (2016)
Angel