Summary
Kung Fu Panda 4severely underutilized one of my favorite parts of the franchise - the Furious Five - but it also set up five different spinoff stories for them that I would love to see. The Furious Five, Tigress, Monkey, Viper, Mantis, and Crane, have been staples of theKung Fu Pandafranchise since it began. Over the course of four movies, they’ve grown from judgmental opponents to Po becoming the Dragon Warrior into his closest friends and allies. On top of their closeness to Po,the Furious Five also practice real-life martial arts styles, and I think they’re the coolest characters in the series.
Unfortunately, as the Furious Five have come to accept Po, they’ve also stepped back to give him more of the spotlight. They were major characters in the originalKung Fu Panda, but with each subsequent movie they became increasingly unimportant. By the timeKung Fu Panda 4came out, the Furious Five were almost inconsequential. I believeKung Fu Pandaneeds to reassert the Furious Five as main characters in the franchise. Luckily, even thoughKung Fu Panda 4gave them the least screen time of the entire series, it also set up the perfect way to bring the focus back on the Furious Five.
Where To Watch All 4 Kung Fu Panda Movies
The streaming debut of Kung Fu Panda 4 means a single-platform home for the movies, as well as a variety of digital purchase or rental options.
Each Furious Five Character’s Kung Fu Panda 4 Mission Could Be A Spinoff
TheFurious Five had a very minor role inKung Fu Panda 4, and the movie offered a quick explanation of where each member was at the time. They were all on various missions:Tigress was fighting a gang of chickens, Monkey was tracking the missing macaque, Crane became king of the crocodilians, Viper was brokering a peace treaty between cobras and mongooses, and Mantis had gotten married and was trying not to be eaten. All of those missions sound like exciting adventures, and any one of them would work as a spinoffKung Fu Pandamovie.
Furious Five Spinoff Movies Would Be Great After Kung Fu Panda 4 Absences
The Furious Five have been some of the best and most important characters in the entireKung Fu Pandafranchise.The arc of their relationship with Po, from hating him to becoming his friends and working with him as their leader, has also been one of the most emotionally satisfying parts of the entire series. That’s why it was so odd and disappointing that they didn’t appear inKung Fu Panda 4, save for two quick montages. The Furious Five is one of my favorite parts ofKung Fu Panda, and they deserve a bigger role in the future.
The Furious Five is one of my favorite parts of Kung Fu Panda, and they deserve a bigger role in the future.
Luckily, giving them each spinoff movies about theirKung Fu Panda 4missions is the perfect way to accomplish that.Each member was on their respective mission by themselves, meaning they won’t have the rest of the Furious Five, or Po, to rely on. That also means they won’t be overshadowed by other characters during their missions, which would give them a chance to shine as individuals in a way they haven’t since the originalKung Fu Panda. I would absolutely love to see those spinoffs as soon as possible, and there’s a good reason they should come beforeKung Fu Panda 5.
Furious Five’s Spinoffs Would Need To Happen Before Kung Fu Panda 5
The Furious Five did appear duringKung Fu Panda 4’s credits, and without any speaking lines.They returned to the Jade Palace to help Po train Zhen, which meant they completed their missions in time to do so.Kung Fu Panda 5hasn’t yet been confirmed, but it will likely follow the next step in Zhen’s journey to becoming the Dragon Warrior. The Furious Five spinoffs need to happen beforeKung Fu Panda 5to keep the franchise’s timeline simple, and to correct the mistake ofKung Fu Panda 4before its sequel ignores it.
Kung Fu Panda 4 Ending Explained: Po’s New Title & Dragon Warrior Replacement
Kung Fu Panda 4 has a seemingly conclusive ending with regards to Po’s journey. We break down the biggest revelations from the ending & what’s next.
Even ifKung Fu Pandacan’t give each member of the Furious Five their own dedicated spinoff, there should be some way to show theirKung Fu Panda 4missions on screen. I would even be happy to watch an anthology-style film split into five parts, with each member getting a portion of the movie’s runtime dedicated to their mission. Po and Zhen are obviously the main draws and future ofKung Fu Panda, but there’s still room for the Furious Five to have a big effect on the franchise, and to fix their lackluster appearance inKung Fu Panda 4.
Kung Fu Panda 4
Cast
Kung Fu Panda 4 is the fourth film in the animated martial arts adventure franchise. The film will see Po leave his home and enter the city to search for his future Dragon Warrior replacement while dealing with a dangerous shapeshifting foe known as The Chameleon.
