Kung Fu Panda 4 Release Date, Cast, Director, And More Details

Unsurprisingly, «Kung Fu Panda 4» will feature Jack Black returning as the voice of Po. Black previously voiced the character for the Panda’s first three cinematic journies and returned for all of the franchise’s short films, including 2016’s «Secrets of the Scroll.» The multi-hyphenate talent even popped up to voice the character in the Netflix series «Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight,» which hit the streaming platform in 2022. Black has become synonymous with Po since the character debuted some 15 years ago and it’s not surprising why he’s so attached to the character considering how similar the two are. 

In a chat with Polygon in 2022, Black discussed his apprehension to join the first film, especially because he had never done voice acting before. Who convinced him to grab the gig? Former DreamWorks boss Jeffrey Katzenberg, who told Black to just be himself. «Jeffrey Katzenberg told me, ‘You don’t have to worry about creating some new character. I want you to be you,’» Black said. He went on to add that Po allows him to embody a superhero, while still using his own instincts.

Beyond Black’s confirmation, it’s unclear who is on track to return for «Kung Fu Panda 4,» though it’s fair to say that members of the Furious Five will return for the franchise’s fourth outing. They include Tigress (voiced by Angelina Jolie), Crane (voiced by David Cross), Mantis (voiced by Seth Rogen), Viper (voiced by Lucy Liu), and Monkey (voiced by Jackie Chan). While the quintet hasn’t been confirmed for the fourth film, it wouldn’t be surprising if they returned considering they’re a huge part of the franchise. There’s no word yet on who voices The Chamelon and Zhen, the new Dragon Warrior.