The Kung Fu Panda franchise has delighted a global audience for the past 16 years. While Po (Jack Black), the endearing panda, has faced great adversaries along his journey to becoming the dragon warrior while also imparting profound lessons of self-discovery, overcoming fear and the power of teamwork. But it wouldn’t be much an internal journey of growth and change without having friends and family by his side.
And the film’s directors, along with the supporting cast, talked about taking Po on an all-new fantastical new adventure where he will face The Chameleon (Viola Davis), the most menacing opponent the Valley of Peace has ever seen.
After three death-defying adventures defeating world-class villains with his unmatched courage and mad martial arts skills, Po, the Dragon Warrior, is called upon by destiny to step down and become the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. While the call to become the spiritual leader is a great honor, Po isn’t exactly ready to embrace change. In fact, he does anything to avoid it.
Shifu (Dustin Hoffman), Po’s master, pressures his student to find a successor as soon as possible, or else the Valley of Peace will have no spiritual leader. Luckily, the reluctant hero finds a loophole when a shape-shifting, wicked, and powerful sorceress named The Chameleon emerges and has plans to steal Po’s mighty staff of wisdom. With his Furious Five friends off on their own adventures, Po will have to face this new threat and figure out who is successor should be on his own. Luckily, he finds some help and possible solution to his successor problem in the form of crafty, quick-witted thief Zhen (Golden Globe winner Awkwafina), a Corsac fox who really gets under Po’s fur but whose skills will prove invaluable.
In addition to speaking with Awkwafina in person — including a chat during Lunar New Year, The Nerds of Color had a chance to also speak virtually to Ronny Cheing (who voices Fish, Arowana boat captain who has seen things along his travels), Lori Tan Chinn (who voices Granny Boar, a boar that can take out her tusks and use them as weapons), and the legendary James Hong (who has voiced Mr. Ping, Po’s adoptive father since 2008), as well as director Mike Mitchell and co-director Stephanie Ma Stine about their roles, justifying a sequel, hilarious recording sessions full of cursing, and how the franchise has changed since it started kicking over a decade ago.
Kung Fu Panda 4 opens in theaters on March 8, 2024.
