What happens when the Dragon Master goes out of style? In the newest installment of the Kung Fu Panda universe, Netflix’s series Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, Po (Jack Black) isn’t exactly a hero anymore.
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight will mark Black’s return to the character since 2016's Kung Fu Panda 3. That film saw Po finally ascend to Dragon Master status (and reconnect with his biological father) after defeating Kai, an old nemesis of his guru Oogway. A 2019 Prime Video spin-off series without Black, Kung Fu Panda: The Paws of Destiny, chronicled the events of Kung Fu Panda 3.
In the new trailer, everything in Po-land seems normal at first—he’s still home slurping down noodle bowls and shouting out “Skadoosh.” But when a duo of evil weasels named Klaus and Veruca Dumont attack, in a split second error, Po destroys the entire village and lets the weasels escape, leaving the townspeople sorely unimpressed. By dinnertime, Po has had his title of Dragon Master bumped down to “pending” status. And worse, his adoptive father Mr. Ping forlornly tells him, the local dumpling shop has discarded a box of Po’s Dragon Master figurines. Ouch.
But when a door closes, so opens a window, and Po’s window comes in the form of British knight Luthera (Rita Ora), or “The Wandering Blade.” Luthera comes to Po’s village in search of The Dragon Master (“That would be me....title pending,” Po sheepishly answers). As it turns out, China is in danger again (these weasels are the worst!) and only Po can help. As he soon realizes, a quest to save his country is the perfect way to win back favor at home.
Aside from Po and his father, the trailer mostly focuses on new characters like Luthera, Klaus, and Veruca. Po’s veteran crew Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Viper (Lucy Liu), and Crane (David Cross) are absent from the teaser.
Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight hits Netflix on July 14.
