There are now two weeks left until Kung Fu Panda 4 arrives at the cinema and, after having seen the various trailers, we are actually wondering what we could see in the film, what to expect. But above all, is Kung Fu Panda 4 the finale of the franchise’s history?
This seems like a more than legitimate question to us, especially considering how much time has passed since the last chapter, released in 2016. So it must already be considered that well 8 years from the last chapter. Surely all this time has passed also regarding the acquisition of Dreamworks by Universal Pictures, but in itself the ending of Kung Fu Panda 3 it could be considered a perfect ending. Then he had defeated all sorts of enemies, even facing the great and powerful Kai, Oogway’s former brother and friend. Yet no, after almost a decade Dreamworks announces the fourth chapterwhich was recently shown in a second trailer.
Now, with everything we’ve seen, with Po finally becoming who he always dreamed of being, wearing the same robe he wore in his dreams, what can we expect?
A new path | Kung Fu Panda 4: the end of the story?
With the input they gave us already in the first trailer, we know that Po he hasn’t finished his journey yet. If it is true that he has become the Dragon Warrior, now the time has come for our beloved Panda to pass the mantle to someone else, thus becoming what Master it was for him. It must in fact become the spiritual guide of the Valley of Peace, a completely different path from the one he had faced so far, given that Po knows little or nothing about spirituality. Sure, he has learned to control his Chi, but he must become more than the Dragon Warrior. This figure is nothing more than a soldier, someone who carries out his master’s orders to protect the innocent. On the contrary, however, Shifu must become what Oogway was before he died. We therefore expect a continuous passing of the baton, with Shifu becoming the master par excellence and with Po just one degree below him.
The Return of Tai Lung | Kung Fu Panda 4: the end of the story?
Another fundamental factor that must be taken into account is the Tai Lung’s return. Those who know the saga know well that Tai Lung did it the first opponent Po ever faced, a fearsome opponent, who throughout his life has trained and fought to obtain the title of Dragon Warrior. At the same time, Tai Lung is one of the most beloved characters in the franchisebecause in itself it was not a threat.
The leopard, in fact, attacked the Valley of Peace because he was deeply disappointed by Oogway’s final judgement. He dedicated his entire life to trying to become a master, to obtain the title, a rejection after all those hard years would inevitably cause that reaction. More than understandable, his dream was shattered. Maybe, though, he could have a important role in Kung Fu Panda 4, he might get his redemption, fighting alongside Po against the new threat that takes over the chi of all the deceased warriors. This could be the turning point for Tai Lung.
Po’s greatest challenge | Kung Fu Panda 4: the end of the story?
We arrive at the crucial point, that is, what Po will be up against as he tries to train the next Dragon Warrior. This could be it the most difficult challenge Po has ever faced throughout his entire Warrior career. He has faced very formidable opponents, but he has never fought them all together. This challenge is launched by the villain of the new chapter, the Chameleon. This villain intends to take possession of Po’s chi staff given to him by Master Oogway to create an army of warriors at his service to dominate the world. As we saw in the trailer, he also does this with Tai Lung and, in the second trailer, also with Lord Shen and Kai. But the biggest opponent he could ever face is actually himself. From what we can see from the trailers, Chameleon also manages to take over the power of Po’s chi, which is why she manages to take her form and, most likely, also her powers and fighting skills, which makes her the most formidable opponent that he has ever faced in his entire life.
The passing of the baton
The crux of the matter is what we will almost certainly see at the end of the film: the passing of the baton. Shifu himself tells Po that, to become the spiritual guide of the Valley of Peace, he must abandon his title and pass it on to someone else. That someone else is clearly the little thieving young fox Zhen. A young woman who, just like her Po at the beginning of her career, is energetic and insubordinate, regardless of the rules and willing to do anything. With this training, Po will understand exactly what Shifu felt when she trained him at a young age.
Now, however, as we have seen throughout the films, masters never stop fighting. Before Po there were other Dragon Warriors who later became masters, but they always continued to fight to protect the innocent. So, all things considered, unless Po doesn’t die at the end of the fourth chapter, as long as Dreamworks keeps churning out ideas, the story could always continue. As on the other hand they did with Puss in Boots 2, which revived the Shrek franchise. We’ll see what the plans are!
What do you think? Will Kung Fu Panda 4 be the end of the story or will it continue with other chapters? Leave your theories in the comments, we are curious to find out what you think! Continue to follow us on TechGameWorld.com for news, guides and specials from the world of cinema and much more.
Looking for new movies and new TV series to watch?
Discover the new subscription to Disney+, the streaming home of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic and now Star. Subscribe now to only 5.99 euros per month on this page.
Bonus: how to have a subscription to streaming platforms and save
There are some services that allow you to share your account best streaming platforms (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, NOW TV, Paramount Plus, etc.) with other people and two save on subscriptions, let’s talk about GamsGo, GoSplit or CooSub. Thanks to GamsGo, GoSplit and CooSub it is possible to purchase, at a negligible pricea subscription shared with other users in easy, fast and safe way.