The CW continues to woman the ship of female empowerment, as the network renews Kung Fu for a second season and DC’s Stargirl for a third season ahead of the sophomore superhero series’ return this summer.
A modern update/reboot of the classic 1970s series that starred David Carradine, Kung Fu follows Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang), a young Chinese-American who drops out of college and suffers a quarter-life crisis in her 20s: causing her to seek sanctuary at a Shaolin monastery in China, where she learns about sisterhood and martial arts. When Nicky returns home to San Francisco after three years, she not only discovers she must reconnect with the family she left behind, but that the city is filled with crime, corruption and injustice. With the help of her family and friends, Nicky decides to put her Shaolin values and skills to good use to protect her community while seeking to avenge the death of her master.
In its first episode, Kung Fu proved that faith makes the impossible possible with 3.5 million viewers: having the highest total numbers of viewers that ever premiered on a Wednesday since the 2014 series premiere of The 100.
Returning for a second season on August 10 is DC’s Stargirl with Brec Bassinger as Courtney Whitmore, a teenager who discovers that her stepfather Pat Dugan (Luke Wilson) is S.T.R.I.P.E., a member of the Justice Society of America. Worthy of Starman’s Cosmic Staff, Courtney becomes the superhero Stargirl. With the help of Pat, she forms and leads the next generation of JSA: Yolonda Montez/Wildcat (Yvette Monreal), Rick Harris/Hourman (Cameron Gellman), and Beth Chapel/Doctor Mid-Nite (Anjelika Washington). The new season finds them going up against the dark, corruptive force known as Eclipso.
“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 generation of hit shows for The CW in Kung Fu and DC’s Stargirl,” stated the network’s Chairman and CEO Mark Pedowitz. “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 powerful emotional cords as they delve into the family dynamics and personal relationships at their core, and we are so excited to see what happens next.”