The Kung Fu Panda franchise might be targeted toward children or younger audiences, but the franchise’s appeal has been thus that it is well-liked by people of all ages. The franchise has enjoyed a wide fan appeal and success because of its appealing characters, animation, cultural representation, and inspirational theme.
Yet its incredible influence has not only been because of all these elements combined but also because of the franchises repeatedly embracing recurring themes and villains. With its fourth movie set to release soon, it will be bringing back three of its well-revered villains from previous movies along with a brand new formidable foe. And in doing so, Kung Fu Panda 4 will single-handedly achieve that one thing that even the likes of Marvel have failed to achieve.
How Kung Fu Panda Franchise Succeeds Where Marvel Stumbles
The Kung Fu Panda franchise is no match for the phenomenon that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While both are fan-favorite franchises, the latter is backed by the incredible comic book resource it has making its popularity and appeal being many times more than the animated movie series.
Yet the $54 billion worth Marvel (via Marca) has failed to achieve what Kung Fu Panda 4 will be achieving soon: having recurring villains. The fourth movie will feature Tai Lung, Lord Shen, and Kai in addition to a new and powerful formidable foe, the Chameleon (see Collider).
The movie adapting the theme of featuring fan-favorite villains not only adds to its appeal but also enriches the narrative by building upon existing character arcs and conflicts. This brings a sense of continuity and cohesion that the MCU certainly lacks due to its absence of recurring villains just like in the comic books.
By having all three major villains reappear in the latest soon-to-be-released flick, the movie would allow the audience to experience their growth and relationship with the protagonists, possibly allowing some villains to redeem themselves. Unlike Marvel, this will certainly provide viewers with an immersive and positive experience.
How Kung Fu Panda 4 Sets A Precedent For The MCU To Follow
Kung Fu Panda 4 not only sets a precedent for the Marvel Cinematic Universe but also proves that the fan appeal for a franchise or narrative never diminishes despite having recurring characters. And having recurring villains is only a cherry on top for the fans, especially comic book fans, who love to explore character arcs.
Except for Loki, Kang, Thanos, and a few others, the MCU has hardly ever explored villains as significantly as they deserved. Despite Spider-Man: No Way Home proving that fans love well-built and recurring antagonists, especially if it involves character arcs, Marvel hardly seems to have learned anything.
And so moving forward Marvel should focus on exploring the countless fan-favorite villains by possibly allowing them to evolve and represent a more comic-book-accurate version of themselves. By doing so the audience will not only re-attract its fanbase which has been dwindling in recent years but also allow for a more cohesive and immersive storytelling.
Kung Fu Panda 4 will be released on March 8, while all of the MCU can be streamed on Disney+.
