The film was directed by Mike Mitchell, co-directed by Stephanie Ma Stine, written by Darren Lemke and the writing team of Jonathan Aibel and Glenn Berger, and produced by Rebecca Huntley.

It features Jack Black, Ian McShane, Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, and Bryan Cranston reprising their roles from the previous films, with Awkwafina, Ke Huy Quan, Ronny Chieng, Lori Tan Chinn, and Viola Davis joining the cast as new characters.

In the film, Po (Black), who must find and train his successor as the new Dragon Warrior, teams up with fox bandit Zhen (Awkwafina) to defeat evil sorceress The Chameleon (Davis), before she steals the kung-fu abilities of all masters in China.

DreamWorks officially announced the fourth film in August 2022, with Mitchell, Ma Stine, and Huntley attached as director, co-director, and producer, respectively, by April 2023.

Po struggles to choose the right candidate as he does not want to lose his status, and he stumbles upon a corsac fox bandit named Zhen trying to steal ancient weapons from the Jade Palace.

Po outsmarts Zhen and sends her to prison, but a group of mine workers tells him that Tai Lung has returned from the Spirit Realm and destroyed an entire quarry.

Zhen reveals that Tai Lung's return was masqueraded by a sorceress known as The Chameleon, who can shape-shift into any animal she wants as well as copying various kung fu skills simply by touching them.

Using the staff, The Chameleon summons every deceased kung fu master and steals their skills, including three of Po's past enemies; Lord Shen, General Kai, and the real Tai Lung.

While returning to the Valley, Po, despite Shifu's dismay, chooses Zhen as his successor and, confident with his choice, trains her alongside the Furious Five to become the next Dragon Warrior.

Lord Shen and General Kai also have non-speaking appearances when The Chameleon is summoning villains from the Spirit Realm, including a clique of past Kung-Fu masters.

[11] On August 2, 2018, when asked about the possibility of Kung Fu Panda 4, Nelson replied that she always saw the series as a trilogy, but was open for a fourth installment as long as the franchise focused on Po.

[18] Mitchell felt that one of the things the Kung Fu Panda franchise stands out for, aside from Black's Po, are its villains, so he made sure that The Chameleon could be as formidable as Tai Lung, Lord Shen and General Kai, hence his reasoning to specifically bring the former back into this sequel's story.

[23][24] Lori Tan Chinn and Ronny Chieng were also announced as new cast members,[8] with Ian McShane, Bryan Cranston, James Hong, and Dustin Hoffman reprising their roles from the previous films.

[8][21] In a March 2024 Discord Q&A session in a fan server, co-director Stephanie Ma Stine noted that the Furious Five were not originally going to appear despite protests from writers, artists, and animators.

Physical copies contain an audio commentary, behind-the-scenes featurettes, deleted scenes, recreational activities, and a short film titled Dueling Dumplings.

[6][5] In the United States and Canada, Kung Fu Panda 4 was released alongside Imaginary and Cabrini, and was projected to gross $45–50 million from 3,900 theaters in its opening weekend.

The website's consensus reads: "Kung Fu Panda 4 offers enough eye-catching entertainment to sustain the franchise's young fans, although it's starting to feel like this series is running out of steam.

[44] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter wrote, "With its new settings and characters, including Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan as a pangolin leader of a den of thieves and Ronnie Chieng as a fish that lives in a pelican's mouth, Kung Fu Panda 4 clearly aims to refresh the franchise.

Wilson Chapman of IndieWire gave the film a B- and wrote, "Black can, at this point, play this role in his sleep, but he still gives it his all in his fourth go around, and his pitch perfect comic timing and lovable earnestness makes the journey an easy one to take.

"[54] For The New York Times, Claire Shaffer complimented the film's art direction and Black and Awkwafina's chemistry; overall, she felt it "is an enjoyable Kung Fu Panda movie, even if it's missing some of the pizazz of the earlier ones.

"[55] Mentioning the relatively lower budget of this installment, a review in Le Devoir found that it allowed the film to focus more efficiently on 'the essence of the art of cartoon (but by computer all the same), its Disneyesque characters, and the settings, still rich in depth and color, of the Valley of Peace, this fantastic reproduction of Ancient China.

Owen Gleiberman of Variety unfavorably compared the film to its predecessors, writing, "Even after 16 years of Po, you want to hear Jack Black's voice charged with that youthful cockeyed exuberance, rather than the older-and-wiser aura he exudes here.

"[57] Similarly, The Boston Globe's Odie Henderson expressed disappointment with the film's villain and action sequences, concluding "I enjoyed the first three adventures of the Dragon Warrior, but the best thing he can do now is to give this series a much needed skadoosh, sending it to rest in the cinematic spirit realm.

"[59] In a mixed review for the Los Angeles Times, Katie Walsh stated that 'Though visually dazzling, 'Kung Fu Panda 4' shows a flabby franchise in need of punch'.