Is the future of the CW’s reboot of the classic martial arts series in jeopardy? Here is everything we know so far about Kung Fu Season 4.
If you have been keeping up, then you’ll know that since the third season’s finale aired on the CW more than two months ago, the network has not provided any information regarding the show’s renewal for a fourth season, which caused major concern among fans as they started wondering if the network may be considering canceling the show permanently.
This concern sparked intense debate among fans as the network’s silence at that time had grown more ominous than before, which is highly unusual for The CW to not approve the renewal within two months or at least hint at it being greenlit, which unfortunately never happened for this beloved reboot of the 1970s series adaptation.
After patiently waiting for months, the hopeful prayers of the fandom have been dashed. Recently, news broke that the network had decided not to renew the fourth season of the show, which has left fans heartbroken once again. Despite having a fairly great reception, the sudden move seemed to come out of nowhere, which is shocking considering it had more stories to explore with its characters.
If you’re interested in learning more about why the cancelation of this television series happened so suddenly, then you’ve come to the right place! Especially for you, we at Web News Observer have compiled a list of all the most important and up-to-date information relating to the future of this series. Here is everything we know about why Kung Fu is being discontinued by The CW after three amazing seasons.
Kung Fu Season 4: Why has the series been canceled?
The CW’s decision to discontinue the show after three seasons shocked many fans who had gotten accustomed to its special mix of drama, humor, and action. Sadly, the show was unable to change the network’s mind despite having a devoted following and receiving favorable reviews. It is said that during its run on the network, the show had difficulty maintaining strong ratings.
Some have also conjectured that the cancellation was brought on by the network’s recent shift in emphasis toward more mainstream programming. Others concur that the show was merely a victim of the cable networks and streaming services’ escalating competition, which is available to produce new content and prove it at a much more affordable price point than broadcast networks.
That’s not all recent shows like The Winchesters and Walker: Independence has also been canceled by The CW, leading to many other shows becoming entangled in the web of cancelation. With so many shows being scrapped, right now it’s not good to say, but it looks like The CW is in a state of instability, and it is unclear what the network’s future holds.
After all, we know that The CW has struggled in recent years, and we believe the decision to cancel Kung Fu was made as part of a bigger cost-cutting initiative. This decision also reminds us and puts stress on the fact that that network is facing persistent difficulties with escalating competition from streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+, which have dominated the market.
We have also learned through Deadline that it is the latest cancellation of an existing scripted series that is changing its business model under its new owners to focus on lower-cost scripted originals, primarily from Canada and the UK. Moreover, Warner Bros. Television quietly tried to explore other options for the series to be shopped around with other television networks.
Maybe they were hoping for it to be rescued for at least one final season but were not able to find a new home for it, sadly leading to a confirmed cancelation. In conclusion, regardless of the reasons behind its sudden cancelation, the show will be remembered for its great representation of Asian-American culture with its beautifully choreographed fight scenes, and its powerful message of empowerment for marginalized communities.
Kung Fu: What is the show about?
The synopsis of the show states, “A quarter-life crisis causes a young Chinese-American woman, Nicky Shen, to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to find her hometown overrun with crime and corruption, Nicky uses her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice – all while searching for the assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor and is now targeting her.”
The main cast members of the series include Olivia Liang as Nicky Shen, Kheng Hua Tan as Mei-Li Shen, Eddie Liu as Henry Yan, Shannon Dang as Althea Shen-Soong, Jon Prasida as Ryan Shen, Gavin Stenhouse as Evan Hartley, Vanessa Kai as Pei-Ling Zhang, Tony Chung as Dennis Soong, Tzi Ma as Jin Shen, JB Tadena as Sebastian Cailao, and Yvonne Chapman as Zhilan Zhang.
The recurring cast includes Bradley Gibson as Joe Harper, Ludi Lin as Kerwin Tan, Janet Kidder as District Attorney Hughes, Evan’s boss, Kee Chan as Russell Tan, Marissa Cuevas as Nadia, Vanessa Yao as Mia Yang, Annie Q. as Juliette Tan, Andrew Tinpo Lee as Frank, Terry Chen as Daniel Yan, Ben Levin as Bo, Kim Rhodes as Carrie, and Donald Heng as Anthony Chan.
Moreover, Christina M. Kim wrote the pilot episode of the show and served as executive producer/co-showrunner with Robert Berens. Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Martin Gero, and David Madden also served as executive producers. Kung Fu was produced by Berlanti Productions and Quinn’s House in association with Warner Bros. Television and was inspired by the original series created by Ed Spielman.
She's more than just a warrior. Stream season 3 of #CWKungFu free only on The CW: https://t.co/YDqrd3nseH pic.twitter.com/m1V1CkVc6N
— Kung Fu (@cw_kungfu) March 15, 2023
Kung Fu: Where to stream?
All the seasons of Kung Fu are available to stream exclusively on the CW network and the streaming app with a vast number of membership plans according to the preference and location of the users. The series is also available to stream on HBO Max, based on the selected region where the platform has been launched. You can stream Kung Fu by renting or purchasing on Amazon Instant Video, iTunes, Vudu, and Google Play, based on the user’s location and preference.
If you haven’t streamed the show and want to get more context beforehand, then check out the trailer of the recently aired third season, which ended on March 8, 2023, with the premiere of “Beginning.” The episode was directed by Joe Menendez and written by Christina M. Kim and Robert Berens. In the finale, we saw how after uncovering Xiao’s master plan, Nicky and the team find themselves in a race against the clock to stop her before it’s too late.
Catch up with the prior seasons, and let us know in the comments how you feel about the cancelation of Kung Fu.