‘Kung Fu’ Canceled By The CW After 3 Seasons

May 11, 2023

The CW will not continue with Kung Fu, its reboot of the classic series, which has run for three seasons. It is the latest cancellation of an existing scripted series at the network, which is changing its business model under its new owners to focus on lower-cost scripted originals, primarily from Canada and the UK.

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So far, only the CW’s strongest existing scripted series, All American and Walker, have been renewed for next season. The three least likely, The Winchesters, Kung Fu and Walker Independence, have been canceled. Remaining in limbo are Superman & Lois and All American: Homecoming, which are believed to have the best chance (however small it may be), followed by Gotham Knights.

In anticipation of today’s news, Kung Fu Warner Bros. Television quietly explored other options for the series but was not able to find a new home for it, we hear.

Kung Fu followed a young Chinese American woman, Nicky Shen, played by Olivia Liang, whose quarter-life crisis causes her to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to San Francisco, she finds her hometown is overrun with crime and corruption and her own parents Jin (Tzi Ma) and Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) are at the mercy of a powerful Triad.

Cast also included Shannon Dang, Tony Chung, Jon Prasida, Gavin Stenhouse, Eddie Liu and Vanessa Kai.

Christina M. Kim wrote the pilot episode 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.