Kung Fu: What You Need To Know About The Reboot Show

Kung Fu is the latest CW reboot and here’s what you need to know about the new series. Kung Fu is a gender-flipped reboot of the 1972 series starring David Carradine, who played a half-Chinese Shaolin monk (though the actor was not of Chinese ancestry at all). More importantly, The CW reboot fixes the mistakes of the original series by having a predominantly Asian-American cast and changes up the dynamics of its core characters for a modern-day reimagining that distinguishes it from the original show.

Kung Fu was announced as being in development in November 2019. With Blind Spot and Lost writer Christina M. Kim at the helm as showrunner, the new series is set in modern day San Francisco and feels very at home on The CW network. While there are certain similarities to that of the David Carradine series of the same name, the new Kung Fu stands apart from its predecessor in many ways, which allows it to take a distinct and more authentic approach to its storytelling and characters. 

With Kung Fu’s debut on The CW, here is everything to know about the new series, how it’s different from the 1972 series, cast, story details, and more.  

How Kung Fu Will Be Different

The new Kung Fu series has a similar premise to that of the 1972 show. But, whereas Carradine’s Kwai Chang Caine leaves China and is hunted by bounty hunters throughout the American West, Nicky Shen returns home to San Francisco, California in a bid to start anew with the family she left behind three years prior. In many ways, the Kung Fu reimagining explores the duality of growing up with Chinese immigrant parents while also being a part of both Chinese and American cultures. In this vein, Kung Fu is also more authentic when presenting its leading character, Nicky, and her familial and personal struggles.    

Kung Fu Release Date & Episodes

Kung Fu season 1 premieres April 7, 2021 at 8pm ET. The first season consists of ten episodes. The pilot was written by showrunner Christina M. Kim and the second episode penned by Kim and Robert Berens. Hanelle Culpepper, who is no stranger to directing CW series like The Flash and Supergirl, helms the first two episodes. The CW has not yet renewed Kung Fu, but the network has a history of renewing most of its primetime line-up, so it’s quite possible Kung Fu will return for season 2. 

Kung Fu Cast

Olivia Liang stars as Nicky Shen, a college dropout who studies for three years at a Chinese Shaolin monastery, Kheng Hua Tan as Mei-Li Shen, Nicky’s mother and restaurant owner, Shannon Dang as Althea Shen, Nicky’s tech-savvy sister, Jon Prasida as Ryan Shen, Nicky’s somewhat bitter pre-med student brother, Eddie Liu as Henry Yan, a tai chi student and Nicky’s love interest, Gavin Stenhouse as Evan Hartley, Nicky’s ex-boyfriend and assistant to the district attorney, Vanessa Kai as Pei-Ling Zhang, Nicky’s Shaolin mentor, Tony Chung as Dennis Soong, Althea’s fiancé, and Tzi Ma as Jin Shen, Nicky’s father. Yvonne Chapman, Power Rangers’ Ludi Lin, and Bradley Gibson will recur.

Kung Fu Story Details

Kung Fu follows the story of Nicky Shen, who was sent to visit China by her mother in a bid to set her up with a man to marry despite Nicky already having a boyfriend back home. Frustrated, angry, and believing she would never live up to her family’s high expectations of her, Nicky crosses paths with Pei-Ling, a Shaolin master. For three years, Nicky practices at the monastery under the tutelage of her Shaolin mentor. However, a raid and a run-in with an assassin named Zhilan (Chapman), changes everything.

Nicky returns to San Francisco, helping her family and her community, who are being targeted by loan sharks and gangs. What she soon discovers is that Zhilan is not done with her mission and Nicky must stop her from obtaining and utilizing an ancient resource that would cause nothing but ruin in the wrong hands. It’ll be interesting to see how The CW’s Kung Fu tackles its storylines throughout season 1, but it sounds like it’s off to a great start.

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Mae Abdulbaki
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Mae Abdulbaki is a movie reviews editor with Screen Rant. She previously wrote about a variety of movies and TV shows for Inverse, CinemaBlend, Pajiba, and The Young Folks, where she wrote reviews, features, news pieces. Her other work can be found at The Mary Sue, Film School Rejects, UPROXX, Heroic Hollywood, Looper, The List, and Bam Smack Pow, among others. Mae has also appeared on television segments, podcasts, and panels to discuss all things entertainment.

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