Jack Black To Reprise His Role As Po In Netflix's 'Kung Fu Panda'

Following its premiere in 2008, Dream Works "Kung Fu Panda" became an instant box office hit, grossing $631.7 million worldwide. Its stellar success prompted the showrunners to greenlight two other sequels, the first of which came in 2011, followed by another in 2016.

Subsequently, "Kung Fu Panda" spawned two animated series: Nickelodeon's "Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness," which aired from 2011 to 2016, and Amazon Prime Video's "Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny," which aired from 2018 to 2019.

While the "Kung Fu Panda's" film trilogy starred Jack Black as the voice of Po, Mick Wingert took over this role in the series adaptation. However, with Netflix picking up the franchise for another series, the streaming services have revealed that Black will return as Po instead of Wingert.

Netflix confirmed during National Panda Day that it was working on a new series titled "Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight," that would once again star Black as Po, the prophesied Dragon Warrior. He hasn't portrayed Po since 2016 when he appeared in "Kung Fu Panda 3" and the short follow-up spinoff "Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Scroll."

Netflix revealed the news alongside several first-look photographs of Po and the new weasel personalities Veruca (Della Saba) and Klaus(Chris Geere) on their new adventures. Also returning to the series is James Hong. Mr. Ping, Po's father.

Although most expected that Mick Wingert would be the apt choice to star as Po given his previous series run, Netflix's decision to choose Black comes as a surprise but is well welcomed by fans.

The series does not yet have an official release date but is expected to debut later this year.

On their official Twitter handle, Netflix captioned the first look photos of the upcoming series, urging fans to get ready for the franchise's return.

"Get ready for PANDA-monium," the caption read. "No better way to celebrate National Panda Day than by announcing Jack Black's return as Po in the new animated series, Kung Fu Panda: the Dragon Knight. "

Subsequently, fans of the franchise commented on the post, expressing their joy at the announcement, and asking for more details.

"I AM SO EXCITED!!!! REALLY HOPE TIGRESS AT LEAST MAKES A CAMEO," one fan said.

"Will the 4 panda kids make a return?" another follower asked.

While Black and Hong would be returning, other original voice cast members like Angelina Jolie, David Cross, Seth Rogen, and Jackie Chan have not been confirmed to feature in the series.

https://twitter.com/Dreamworks/status/1504099854263492612?s=20&t=rAQff5sG-zT4uIiqS4Vxeg

Klaus and Veruca will begin "Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight" by attempting to claim four formidable weapons. Po will be forced to leave home once more on an adventurous quest with Wandering Blade, an English knight. The unusual duo will try to get to each of the weapons before the weasels to avoid disaster.

Like previous "Kung Fu Panda" movies, Black's character, Po, is expected to bond with his new partner as they travel together across the fantasy wuxia genre version of ancient China populated by anthropomorphic animals.

More information about the upcoming show has been kept under wraps. However, in the coming days, Netflix is most likely to drop more details, including a trailer.

While fans of the franchise were happy to have a new series centered around the adventures of Po, some raised questions about the fourth installment of the Kung Fu Panda film, which the DreamWorks showrunners had touted as a possibility.

If the film is later greenlit, it is quite probable that Po's reunion with his biological father and family will take center stage. Po returned to the Panda colony in the previous film, where he was reunited with his father and other pandas. As such, his interaction with his newfound colony will further aid his development as a martial artist, just like in "Kung Fu Panda 3."