Po the Panda (Jack Black) is finally back for an all-new kung fu adventure in Dreamworks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 4. It may be hard to believe, but it has been almost a decade since the original Kung Fu Panda trilogy ended in 2016. Filled with lovable characters, stunning animation, and surprisingly gripping and emotional stories, the first three Kung Fu Panda movies are easily among Dreamworks' best. With that, Kung Fu Panda 4 certainly has a lot to live up to, but the news of who is joining (and whose returning) to the franchise is already getting us excited.

After years of protecting the Valley of Peace as the Dragon Warrior, the once naive student Po is now a certified Kung Fu master. With nothing more to learn, Po now sets his sights on teaching. More specifically, Po is tasked by Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) to find the next hero worthy of the Dragon Warrior mantle. Before he can, news arrives that a shapeshifting sorceress called The Chameleon (Viola Davis) has put in place a dastardly plan into place that involves reviving villains from Po's past, including the terrifying Tai Lung (Ian McShane) from the first Kung Fu Panda film.

To stop Chameleon, Po will need help from friends, new and old, to put an end to her reign of terror and stop his rivals from returning. To find out who will be joining Po on his latest quest to save China, read below for a complete cast and character guide for Kung Fu Panda 4.

Jack Black

Po

It makes sense that beloved actor, musician, and comedian Jack Black would be "ski-down" for another Kung Fu Panda film, as he is on the cusp of what can only be described as a voice acting renaissance. At the very least, Black is becoming the king of video game adaptations. He already stole the show as Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie and is also set to voice Claptrap in Borderlands and Steve in Minecraft.

Po's journey began when he was just a baby after his village was attacked by the power-hungry Lord Shen (Gary Oldman). Po's mother sacrificed herself to help baby Po escape, which ultimately led him to the arms of his adoptive father, Mr. Ping (James Hong). Po was raised as an employee in his father's noodle shop, while also becoming a massive superfan of the Valley of Peace's kung fu protectors, the Furious Five. One day, while trying to sneak into the Dragon Warrior selection ceremony, Po is seemingly accidentally chosen by Master Oogway (Randall Duk Kim). The Furious Five and their mentor, Master Shifu, are not pleased by Oogway's decision. However, when the sinister villain Tai Lung escapes prison to take the all-powerful Dragon Scroll, Po learns what it takes to be a protector and warrior. He not only saves the Valley from Tai Lung, but he also earns the respect of friendship of Shifu and the Furious Five.

In Kung Fu Panda 2, Po finds himself confronting the man who seemingly killed his entire family, Lord Shen, who seeks to destroy kung fu forever with his weaponized fireworks. The pain Shen inflicted on Po is indescribable, but through the help of a friendly soothsayer (Michelle Yeoh), Po finds inner peace and defeats Shen. Kung Fu Panda 3 reveals that Po is, in fact, not the last panda, as he reunites with his biological father Li (Bryan Cranston), who is still alive and is the leader of a small community of pandas. With his family's help, Po successfully repels Kai (J.K. Simmons) from stealing the legendary chi of the pandas, thus becoming a bona fide kung fu master.

Kung Fu Panda 4 sees Po, now a decorated master of kung fu, venture into a new city alongside a wanted crook named Zhen (Awkwafina). Po is disturbed by her criminal past, but he'll need her expertise if he wants to stop the Chameleon. One can only imagine how Po will react once he reunites with his first nemesis, Tai Lung.

Awkwafina

Zhen

One of several new actors and characters to join Kung Fu Panda 4, the new character of Zhen will be voiced by actor and comedian Awkwafina. Like Jack Black, Awkwafina has also been enjoying an incredibly successful voice acting career, having starred in Raya and the Last Dragon, Disney's The Little Mermaid remake, and even DreamWorks' own The Bad Guys.

With Po officially on the search for a new Dragon Warrior, it seems awfully coincidental that Zhen just happened to show up one day. That said, she hardly seems like the most worthy candidate. She's a wanted criminal and a known thief, after all. Then again, Po wasn't the ideal candidate when he was first chosen either. Regardless, it appears that (per the official synopsis for Kung Fu Panda 4) Zhen and Po will be spending a lot of time together as a sort of dynamic duo to take down the Chameleon.

Viola Davis

The Chameleon

The latest acting veteran to take on a Kung Fu Panda antagonist is Academy Award-winner Viola Davis, who is set to return to the DC universe as Amanda Waller in her spin-off series.

Villains have always been a strong point in the Kung Fu Panda series, but the Chameleon might be the most dangerous yet. Her aptitude for magic allows her to shapeshift into anyone she pleases, including Po's friends and enemies. She can even turn into a spitting image of Po himself, prompting him to have to "kick his own butt". Chameleon's reasoning for reviving Po's enemies isn't precisely known, but she appears to be stealing the kung fu abilities of beings she classifies as "master villains."

Dustin Hoffman

Master Shifu

Another returning voice to the Kung Fu Panda series is two-time Academy Award-winner Dustin Hoffman as Master Shifu.

The dedicated teacher of the Furious Five and a loyal student of Master Oogway, Shifu describes the moment Po was chosen as the Dragon Warrior as the worst day of his life. The mere idea that a nobody with zero experience could outshine his five other students was preposterous. Not to mention, Shifu wasn't keen on training more students than he had to after his prized pupil, Tai Lung, turned to the dark side. Still, after Master Oogway leaves the mortal plane to go to the spirit world, Shifu puts his biases aside and decides to help train Po. The result has not only consistently helped Po become a better Kung Fu master, but has also created a lifelong friendship between master and student.

James Hong

Mr. Ping

Po technically has two dads, and one of them is Mr. Ping, voiced once again by prolific character actor and Big Trouble in Little China star James Hong.

The owner of a humble noodle shop, Ping's life changed forever when he found a baby panda in his radish shipment. Unable to leave the child alone, Ping decided to do something drastic. He was going to try making his soup without radishes. Also, he decided to take Po in and raise him as his son. While his obsession with noodles sometimes gets the best of him, he loves Po as if he was his own. Ping occasionally has to deal with various family troubles, such as when Po learns he is adopted in Kung Fu Panda 2 and when he finds his real father in Kung Fu Panda 3. Every time, though, Ping proves time and time again that he's one of the best fathers in animation history.

Bryan Cranston

Li

Be it comedies like Malcolm in the Middle or dramas like Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston is a brilliantly versatile actor, so it's a relief to see him return for Kung Fu Panda 4.

Years ago, Li thought he lost everything when Lord Shen attacked his village, with his wife and son missing and presumed dead. However, when Po defeats Shen in Kung Fu Panda 2, Li receives a message from the universe telling him that his son is alive. Li then embarks on a quest to find Po and eventually finds him in the Valley of Peace. After what happened to him, Li is understandably overprotective of Po and prefers the isolation of their hidden Panda community. He even tries to prevent Po from fighting Kai, but eventually learns that his son is more than capable of protecting himself and others.

Ke Huy Quan

Han

The last new character that we know of will be played by Academy Award-winner Ke Huy Quan, who will be reuniting with his Everything Everywhere All at Once costar James Hong in Kung Fu Panda 4.

We only get a brief glimpse at the character that is Han in the Kung Fu Panda 4 trailer, but he doesn't seem like the friendliest character. He relishes inflicting pain on trespassers to his abode, much to the delight of some violent bunnies.

Ian McShane

Tai Lung