Kung Fu Panda has been a beloved franchise since its first installment in 2008. There’s a reason it’s one of Dreamworks’ most beloved films, and that’s because it has cute animals and there is no sign of a tiny baby wearing a suit, which can be off-putting to some.
The film series follows a fluffy yet clumsy panda named Po who learns to harness his potential as a martial arts master. Kung Fu Panda 2 and Kung Fu Panda 3 were released in 2011 and 2016 respectively, and now it’s time for some more panda punches.
The fourth film in the franchise was announced in the summer of 2022, and it was confirmed the original gang would be back for some more shenanigans, including Jack Black as Po, the main panda himself, along with some new voices. Even though the Kung Fu universe has expanded into three TV shows, four short films, and a handful of specials, this will be the first time the gang has reunited on the big screen since 2016. Here is everything you need to know about Kung Fu Panda 4.
Plot
After the events of the third film, Po is gearing up to become the spiritual leader of his Valley of Peace, aka he wants to retire from all this fighting nonsense. To do so, that means he needs someone to take his place as Dragon Warrior, so plans to train a new kung fu apprentice who will take his spot.
However, things can never be easy, and Po encounters a mysterious new shapeshifting bad guy called The Chameleon who conjures villains from the past to harness their powers and bring Po down.
Director Mike Mitchell stated that the film is a “love letter” to the first film in the franchise. He also revealed that past Kung Fu masters Tigress, Monkey, Crane, Mantis, and Viper, known collectively as the “Furious Five” will make appearances in the film and that they are “off on their own individual missions.”
Cast
The fourth installment brings back Black as Poe, the world’s favorite SKADOOSH-ing panda, in addition to some new voices, including Viola Davis. Davis will portray a new shape-shifting chameleon who is bound to have some tricks up her scaley sleeves. Comedian Awkwafina will portray Zhen, a new fox character in the Kung Fu Panda universe.
The fun doesn’t stop there: The stacked cast also includes Ke Huy Quan, Dustin Hoffman, Bryan Cranston, James Hong, and Ian McShane.
@dreamworks Get ready for a whole new level of SKADOOSH 💥 See #KungFuPanda 4 only in theaters March 8!
Release Date
Poe will be stomping into theaters on March 8th.
Trailer
The first trailer was released in December 2023. Check it out below:
