Kung Fu Panda 4: The Vessel of Fire

Kung Fu Panda 4: The Vessel of Fire is a 2025 computer-animated wuxia film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal Pictures. It is the fourth installment in the Kung Fu Panda franchise, and the sequel to 2016's Kung Fu Panda 3.

The film was directed by Guillermo del Toro and Jennifer Yuh Nelson, and written by Chris Terrio and David S. Goyer. Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Lucy Liu, Seth Rogen, David Cross, James Hong and Jackie Chan reprise their roles from the previous films with Danny McBride and Randall Duk Kim reprising their roles of Wolf Boss and Oogway from the previous films. They are joined by Tom Holland, Forest Whitaker, Jeremy Irons, Gerard Butler and Zoe Saldana in the roles of Liu, Chow, Minister Zhao, Kang and Fan respectively.

The film takes place four years after the events of the third film, and features Po dealing with new responsabilities as Supreme Master, while embarking on a journey with Tigress, a white tiger named Liu and a black swordsman cat named Chow, to find the legendary "Vessel of Fire", which contains the power of the sacred beast known as Phoenix. In their journey to find this legendary object, they will have to face a new supernatural threat known as "The Crow", a devilish and poweful demonic entity which seeks the Vessel for himself, at the same time that they have to prevent the beginning of a great war, led by the mischievous Minister Zhao, which could extinguish the masters and the legacy of Kung Fu from China forever.

This new installment in the franchise deviates from the comedic tone and spirit of the first three, presenting a more darker, serious and complex story. It premiered on May 25, 2025, in Los Angeles. Unlike its predecessors, this fourth installment received mixed reviews, with some praising the animation, musical score, action scenes and humor, while others critiziced the convoluted plot and pacing issues. It is the most expensive animated movie to date, with a budget of $300 million, and also the longest animated movie ever made, with a three-hours lenght.