Jack Black’s Po will take on his most formidable villain yet, Viola Davis’ Chameleon, in Kung Fu Panda 4. The film will hit theaters in a few days but the critical reviews of the film are out after its premiere at the AMC 14 Theater at The Grove in L.A. The largely positive reviews prove that Po & team have managed to impress the viewers a fourth time. However, we believe that Jack Black may not return for the future Kung Fu Panda sequels.
As believed earlier, the Furious Five have a limited role in the film. It might be the last time fans get to hear the voices of the likes of Angelina Jolie and Jackie Chan. The future sequels are likely to be voiced by a new young cast.
Kungu Fu Panda Sequels May Not Feature Jack Black
Kung Fu Panda‘s title role of Po is voiced by Jack Black. The film offered Black a chance to work with his icon Dustin Hoffman. While his exact paycheck for the Kung Fu Panda movies remains undisclosed, the School of Rock actor must have made a significant fortune out of the $2 billion grossing franchise. However, there is a high possibility that we may not see Jack Black in another movie in this franchise.
Former President of Dreamworks Animation, Jeffrey Katzenberg, revealed to Empire Magazine in 2010 that the Kung Fu Panda film franchise had a total of six chapters. After the third film, he revealed that at least three more films were supposed to come out of the franchise. When director Mike Mitchell and producer Rebecca Huntley were asked about the same last December, they had a more diplomatic answer.
They kept open the possibility of Jack Black’s return by sharing that the audiences will not get easily tired of Black’s Po. However, they also shared that their ultimate focus with Kung Fu Panda 4 was to create the greatest theatrical film. They also mentioned that they had no plans for a potential sequel while filming the fourth film. Mike Mitchell shared with Next Best Picture:
“It’s very possible. Like, I don’t think anyone will ever get tired of seeing Jack Black as this panda. That said, we have made the most epic chapter of this franchise here. Yeah, our focus was making just the greatest film possible to be seen in the theater. That was our own mission statement. So we’ll see.”
Film critic Laura Sirikul watched the film at the first opportunity she got and found the film adorable. She shared that it came to a good full circle with the previous villains making an appearance. However, one crucial point she noted was that the film was probably not necessary. Sirikul shared on her X account:
Was #KungFuPanda4 necessary? Prob not, but it's an adorable film to continue Po & his future successors stories. It's funny & was a good full circle regarding the films villains of before. It's great for future generations who are parents now who watched the first, like Toy Story
— Laura ลอร'า 劳拉 🍥 (@lsirikul) March 4, 2024
Sirikul addressed one of the nagging problems about the franchise, that it was stretching too thin with Po’s story. While Mitchell is confident that people will not get tired of seeing Po on screen, his stories have become too saturated to continue on for another two films. Fans surely don’t want Jack Black to end up in a Fast & Furious-like loop with the franchise.
Jack Black’s Kung Fu Panda 4 Is Receiving Rave Early Reviews
Kung Fu Panda 4‘s Los Angeles premiere left the critics absolutely joyful as the film was a fun ride. Film & TV critic Rama’s Screen was not disappointed by the “awesome” film and found the fights and animations in the film to be “electric”. The critic also praised the performances of Viola Davis, Awkwafina, and Jack Black in the film. Rafael Motamayor can confirm that the Kung Fu Panda movies have “the best action in American animation.”
Tessa Smith of Mama’s Geeky had praises for both Black and the Shang-Chi actress. Smith was another critic to praise the “stunning animation & incredible action sequences.” POC Culture also wrote that the film has many of the “elements that fans of the franchise will love.”
KUNG FU PANDA 4 was awesome! It didn't disappoint me at all. The fights & the animation this time also looked more electric. Viola Davis was deliciously sinister as the villain. Awkwafina's Zhen was sly & Jack Black's Po once again rocked!
Skadoosh!#KungFuPanda4 @Dreamworks pic.twitter.com/HnLvl5mgya— Rama's Screen (@RamasScreen) March 3, 2024
Met the Dragon Warrior! #KungFuPanda4 continues to show that this franchise has the best action in American animation, but I was very surprised by how fun this movie's buddy cop dynamic is. pic.twitter.com/nXHs3FjmuX
— Rafael Motamayor (@RafaelMotamayor) March 4, 2024
Kung Fu Panda 4 is a ton of fun! Jack Black is as hilarious & lovable as ever, Awkwafina is a wonderful addition, and the two of them together are fantastic! Stunning animation & incredible action sequences, plus a worthy story that sets up for more! #KungFuPanda4 #KungFuPanda pic.twitter.com/pMj1owU5nG
— Tessa Smith – Mama's Geeky (@MamasGeeky) March 4, 2024
I got to see KUNG FU PANDA 4!
New cast additions like Awkwafina, Viola Davis, Ronny Chieng, Ke Huy Quan & Lori Tan Chinn are great fun.
It has many of the elements that fans of the franchise will love, including the trademark irreverent humor. #KungFuPanda pic.twitter.com/5L435mbwK9
— POC Culture (@POCculture) March 3, 2024
The previous films in the franchise are now available for streaming on Peacock Premium. Kung Fu Panda 3 is currently available on Netflix. The fourth film will hit global theaters on March 8, 2024.
