Kung Fu Panda is one of the most popular animated franchises on the planet and it is so for very good reasons. The series has incredible characters with amazing voice actors and a completely non-ambiguous plot. In each movie of the trilogy, we were able to see the character development of Po to a higher level than he was in the previous movie
The Kung Fu Panda trilogy came to an end almost 8 years ago and everyone believed that we would not be seeing any more of our characters ever again until DreamWorks Animation decided to make another Kung Fu Panda movie which will be released later this year.
Kung Fu Panda 4 can be the start of a new trilogy
After the release of Kung Fu Panda 3, it was assumed by everyone that maybe Dreamworks Animations had probably wrapped up with their beloved franchise. However, after the release of the trailer of Kung Fu Panda 4, fans have been speculating that the new movie could possibly lay the foundation of another trilogy.
The director, Mike Mitchell, and producer Rebecca Huntley of the upcoming movie recently appeared for an interview with Next Best Picture and were asked if the upcoming movie can be the start of a new trilogy. Although Mitchell did not confirm the future of the franchise, he did say a trilogy might be possible. He said,
“It’s very possible. Like, I don’t think anyone will ever get tired of seeing Jack Black as this panda. I mean, he just is this panda. He comes up with all of the ‘skadooshes,’ all the ‘sha-sha-booeys’ and stuff. We could watch him forever. That said, we have made the most epic chapter of this franchise here.”
Also read: Kung Fu Panda 4 Has Already Broken a Chris Pratt Mario Movie Record Before it’s Even Released
Mitchell also revealed that we would be seeing tons of new characters in the upcoming movie which might not be as much of a good thing as the director thinks.
The introduction of new characters might overshadow the previous main characters of the series
The introduction of a criminal fox, Zhen who becomes an accomplice to Po in Kung Fu Panda 4, can indeed be the turning point in the franchise. As is pretty evident from the trailer of the movie, Zhen is just not another side character, fans have been speculating that she could even become the next dragon warrior after Po and the future Kung Fu Panda movies might revolve around the relationship of Po and Zhen.
Also read: Kung Fu Panda 4 Theory: Tai Lung Is The Next Dragon Warrior, Farewell Jack Black
To further back this theory, fans stated that the Furious Five who always played a vital part in the previous movies were not even shown once in the trailer of the upcoming movie which might indicate that our favorite characters are getting sidelined for newer characters in the franchise. If this turns out to be the case the franchise might face some backlash as to why would they revive the series only to sideline our favorite characters.
Kung Fu Panda 4 is all set to be released in theatres later this year on March 8.
