Everything You Need To Know About ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’!

The newest installment in the ‘Kung Fu Panda’ franchise is just around the corner! So here is everything fans need to know before they head into the theater.

**SPOILERS FOR PAST MOVIES**

The Trailer

The trailer for the latest installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise dropped December 23rd of last year and it gave fans much to be excited about.

This film centers around Po becoming the newest spiritual leader of the Valley of Peace, replacing Master Oogway after he passed away from old age under the Sacred Peach Tree in Kung Fu Panda 3. With this new role, Po is also taking on a lot of new responsibility as he is now tasked with training the new dragon warrior while a dark sorceress, Chameleon, is trying to summon all of the villains that Po has previously banished to the spiritual realm in order to harness their power.

With this new sorceress resummoning all of these villains, we are sure to see some fan favorite villains, even if it is just a cameo. One such villain is Tai Lung, as seen in the trailer, who was first featured in the original Kung Fu Panda, released in 2008.

While the film is mostly a stand alone movie, the cameos and call backs to the prior movies serve as a “love letter” to them, as described by the director Mike Mitchell. With this in mind, there is sure to be more easter eggs for die hard fans of the series to find and enjoy!

The Cast

While there are still iconic members of the cast in the fourth installment, such as Jack Black as Po, Dustin Hoffman as Shifu, and Bryan Cranston as Li, there are also some fresh faces for fans to enjoy.

Unfortunately, there have been some cast members of previous renditions that will not be returning. Specifically, Angelina Jolie, Seth Rogan, Lucy Liu, and Jackie Chan will not be reprising their roles as Tigress, Mantis, Monkey, and Viper respectively. Fans will surely miss these familiar faces, and voices, there are new additions to the cast that will make up for their lack of appearance.

Joining the franchise is Viola Davis as Chameleon and Awkwafina as a quirky new sidekick known as Zhen. Viola Davis is known for her work on iconic sets such as The Help, Suicide Squad, and the hit television show How To Get Away With Murder. Similarly, Awkwafina has worked on projects such as Ocean’s Eight, Crazy Rich Asians, and the live action version of The Little Mermaid as Scuttle.

Promotion

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is not the only film that Jack Black has been promoting on TikTok. Leading up to the release of Kung Fu Panda 4, Black can be seen posting about the original Kung Fu Panda being released on Netflix as well as playing filters that incorporate his character.

The franchise has exploded all over TikTok recently with fans making edits of the characters, reacting to famous scenes, and playing filters similarly to the one that Jack Black played in the video above. This seems to be all in anticipation for the continuation of the beloved franchise as well as the fact that Jack Black is partaking in the fun as well!

@bylev.anime Po y Shifu, Maestro y estudiante. 🔥#kungfupanda #kungfupanda4 #po #maestroshifu #guerrerodragon #kungfupanda4trailer #foryou #fypシ ♬ sonido original – ゲイリー・レフ〜🔥

First Impressions

On March 3rd, the film first premiered at AMC Theater 14 at the Grove in Los Angeles California. The stars were seen on the red carpet making funny poses with one another as well as Jack Black doing some karate moves.

Critics have shared their opinions on the film online, and currently it seems to have pleased the audience that was able to see the premiere. Many of the critics agree that the movie was fun, family friendly, and entertaining. Other critics said that the new additions to the cast were welcomed ones and added a lot to the movie!

Where And When To Watch

Kung Fu Panda 4 will be released in theaters on March 7th in theaters across the country! Don’t forget to snag your tickets and get your popcorn ready!