The CW Renews ‘Kung Fu’ for Season 2 and ‘Stargirl’ for Season 3

Kung Fu Season 1 Episode 1
Olivia Liang as Nicky Shen in ‘Kung Fu’ season 1 episode 1 (Photo: Kailey Schwerman © 2021 The CW Network, LLC)

The CW confirms they’ve given new season orders to primetime newcomer Kung Fu and comic book-inspired Stargirl. Kung Fu premiered on the network on April 7, 2021 and drew in more than 3.5 million viewers. The first season has generated mostly positive reviews from critics, with RogerEbert.com noting this new version of the classic TV drama “rights the wrongs of appropriation.”

Stargirl‘s season three renewal comes a month ahead of the series’ season two premiere.

“We are beyond proud to continue to share the stories of Nicky Shen and Courtney Whitmore, two strong, powerful young women at the center of this new generation of hit shows for The CW in KUNG FU and DC’S STARGIRL,” said Mark Pedowitz, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The CW Network. “While each boasts remarkable talent on both sides of the camera, KUNG FU and DC’S STARGIRL have not only treated fans to some visually stunning action and high-flying heroics, but they also both strike very powerful emotional chords as they delve into the family dynamics and personal relationships at their core, and we are so excited to see what happens next.”

Kung Fu‘s cast is lead by Olivia Liang and includes Kheng Hua Tan (Crazy Rich Asians) as Mei-Li Shen, Shannon Dang (So Foreign) as Althea Shen, Eddie Liu (Never Have I Ever) as Henry Yan, Gavin Stenhouse (Allegiance) as Evan Hartley, Vanessa Kai (Off the Rails) as Pei-Ling Zhang, Tony Chung as Dennis Soong, and Tzi Ma (Mulan) as Jin Shen.

Christina M. Kim and Robert Berens guide the series as co-showrunners. Kim, Berens, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Martin Gero, and David Madden executive produce.

Stargirl was created by showrunner Geoff Johns based on a character he created in 1999. Johns’ Stargirl was inspired by his sister who died in a 1996 plane crash. Johns executive produces with Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter.

Brec Bassinger leads the cast in the title role. Luke Wilson, Amy Smart, Yvette Monreal, Anjelika Washington, Cameron Gellman, and Trae Romano also star along with Hunter Sansone, Meg DeLacy, and Nick Tarabay.

The CW previously announced Superman & Lois, Walker, All American, Batwoman, Charmed, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, and Dynasty have been renewed for the 2021-2022 primetime season. The Flash, In The Dark, Legacies, Nancy Drew, Riverdale, and Roswell, New Mexico will also return with new seasons.

The Kung Fu Plot, Courtesy of The CW:

In Kung Fu, a quarter-life crisis causes a young Chinese American woman, Nicky Shen (Liang), 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 (Ma) and Mei-Li (Tan) are at the mercy of a powerful Triad. Nicky will rely on her tech-savvy sister Althea (Dang) and Althea’s fiancé Dennis (Chung), pre-med brother Ryan (Prasida), Assistant District Attorney and ex-boyfriend Evan (Stenhouse), and new love interest Henry (Liu) as well as her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice…all while searching for the ruthless assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor Pei-Ling (Kai) and is now targeting her.

A Look Ahead at Stargirl Season 2:

DC’S Stargirl follows high school sophomore Courtney Whitmore (Bassinger) and her stepfather Pat Dugan (Wilson) as she leads an unlikely group of young heroes to take on the legacy of DC’s very first superhero team, the Justice Society of America. In the thrilling second season, Courtney and her friends take on one of the most frightening adversaries in DC’s mythology – the dark entity of corruption known as Eclipso.