DreamWorks officially announced the fourth film in August 2022, with Mitchell, Ma Stine, and Huntley attached as director, co-director, and producer, respectively, by April 2023.
On March 8, the legendary actor and comedian Jack Black returned as Po — the world's most unlikely kung fu master — in the fourth installment of the Kung Fu Panda franchise. In this chapter, Po is chosen to become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace.
The main villain in “Kung Fu Panda 4” is the Chameleon, a sorceress with the power to shapeshift and steal the powers of others. This allows “Kung Fu Panda 4” to serve as the “greatest hits” of the franchise's past villains.
Master Shifu is voiced in every Kung Fu Panda movie by Hollywood legend, Dustin Hoffman, who has returned once more to be part of the Kung Fu Panda 4 cast. Shifu has played an important part in Po's journey, and the master's species actually ties him to the franchise's main character in an interesting way.
In 2022, "Kung Fu Panda 4" was announced, reviving the series. We were treated to a trailer in 2023. Now, in 2024, audiences get to enjoy the film, and I have mixed emotions. The film has embraced the Marvel comedy style.
Plus, the main adventure of stopping The Chameleon relies too much on Po and Zhen's banter, rarely allowing for character development. Despite being the second-longest film in the series, Kung Fu Panda 4 moves too quickly to feel earned.
The good news is that Po not being the Dragon Warrior anymore does not mean his time with the franchise is over. Kung Fu Panda 4's co-director Stephanie Ma-Stine told Variety, "This is definitely not the end of Po's story." This confirms that Po will return in an as-of-yet-unannounced new Kung Fu Panda movie.
It would make sense if she supported Po in his upcoming fight, but director Mike Mitchell revealed that she and the Furious Five would be on individual missions in the fourth film. Even though Tigress isn't in the trailer, she, along with her four comrades, will make a brief appearance in Kung Fu Panda 4.
The fourth installment, directed by Mike Mitchell, will take Po to a new city, where he must face a deadly new foe to maintain peace in the valley. However, Po's usual allies, the Furious Five, which include characters voiced by Angelina Jolie and Jackie Chan, have been noticeably absent from the promotional material.
The movie does not hold any special surprises at the very end of the credits sequence. Instead, Kung Fu Panda 4 includes a bonus scene at the start of the credits. The footage plays as Jack Black sings "Baby One More Time," and the timing of when it plays ensures audiences should not miss it.
Tai Lung returns in Kung Fu Panda 4 after leaving the Spirit Realm, thanks to The Chameleon's opening to another realm. The revelation connects to Kung Fu Panda 3 and what happens when Po uses the Wuxi fingerhold as he did on Tai Lung.
But once Po and Zhen successfully defeat the Chameleon and restore his Kung Fu, Tai Lung finally sees the panda as worthy of Oogway's choice as the Dragon Warrior and respectfully bows before him, something he has never before been able to do because of his own past selfishness.
Summary. Kung Fu Panda 4 will feature multiple returning villains and may solve the mystery of Po's background. Director Mike Mitchell confirmed that all major characters from the previous films will return, including potential villain Lord Shen.
Universal Pictures has not yet confirmed a fifth Kung Fu Panda film. However, director Mike Mitchell told The Direct that while he wants to do another movie, “The Furious Five” would be “front and center.” As for what Kung Fu Panda 4 could be about, he pointed to a fun plot point from Kung Fu Panda 3.
Even though it lacks the emotional depth of the previous films, Kung Fu Panda 4 is by no means a bad movie. In fact, it's a pretty darn enjoyable one that I had a blast watching (I'm itching to see it again, in all honesty).
Additionally, Mitchell wanted to evolve Po's character, introduce new characters, and expand the franchise's world, feeling that the film took so long to be produced because the filmmakers wanted a perfect story that could evolve Po by making him learn something to advance to the next level.
Who is going to be the villain in Kung Fu Panda 4?
The Chameleon is the main antagonist of DreamWorks' 47th full-length animated film Kung Fu Panda 4, the fourth installment of the Kung Fu Panda franchise. She is a mysterious and power-hungry sorceress who ruled over Juniper City with her army.
Kai's precise fate is still unknown. While his body was destroyed, it is unclear whether his spiritual essence was destroyed along with it, or if it was otherwise scattered or still intact in some form. Kung Fu Panda 4, however, provides a vague answer.
But, after watching “Kung Fu Panda 4” in theaters, hoping to have a child-like experience, it's clear that this movie was made only to make money off the brand recognition. From top to bottom, this film felt unfinished. The animation style felt stale, and the fight scenes were uninspired and lazy.
At the heart of this emotional journey lies the poignant moment when Po, the iconic Dragon Warrior, makes the monumental decision to retire from his role. For fans who have followed Po's adventures from the very beginning, this announcement is nothing short of earth-shattering (Call me dramatic, I don't mind).
After a failed attempt to stop a gang of weasels from stealing the WuGao Gauntlet goes bad, Po's reputation is destroyed and he is stripped of his status as Dragon Master.
