It's the latest in a line of canceled series from the network, which under its new owners is changing its business model to focus on lower-cost original scripts, primarily from Canada and the United Kingdom.
So far, only The CW's strongest existing scripted series, All American (2018) and Walker, have been renewed for next season. The three lowest performing, The Winchesters, Kung Fu (2021) and Walker Independence, have been cancelled. That leaves the series Superman & Lois and All American: Homecoming, which are considered to have the best chance of being renewed (however small that chance is), followed by Gotham Knights.
In anticipation of today's news of Kung Fu (2021), Warner Bros. Television was quietly exploring other options for the series, but was unable to find a new home for the series, sources said.
Kung Fu (2021) follows a young Chinese-American woman, Nicky Shen, played by Olivia Liang, whose quarter-life crisis causes her to drop out of college and embark on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to San Francisco, she discovers that her hometown is overrun with crime and corruption and that her own parents Jin (Tzi Ma) and Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan) are at the mercy of a powerful Triad.
The cast also included Shannon Dang, Tony Chung, Jon Prasida, Gavin Stenhouse, Eddie Liu, and Vanessa Kai.
Christina M. Kim wrote the first 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 (2021) is produced by Berlanti Productions and Quinn's House in association with Warner Bros. Television and is inspired by Ed Spielman's original series.