The CW Renews Action Series for Season 2

The CW is bringing back Kung Fu for a second season. The network announced the show’s renewal on Monday, alongside a Season 3 renewal for DC Comics’ Stargirl series. Kung Fu debuted on April 7 and is a reboot of the 1972-1973 series. Although it is only four episodes into its first season, Kung Fu has posted some of the best ratings for The CW this season.

The new Kung Fu series was developed by Christina M. Kim. It stars Olivia Liang as Nicky Shen, a young Chinese-American woman who drops out of college to visit an isolated monastery in China. When she returns to San Francisco, she learns that her hometown is now ruled by a powerful Triad. Tzi Ma and Kheng Hua Tan play her parents, while Shannon Dang plays her sister and Tony Chung plays her sister’s fiance. Jon Prasida, Gavin Stenhouse, Eddie Liu, and Vanessa Kai also star.

Kung Fu‘s early renewal is no surprise, as the season premiere earned huge ratings for The CW. The pilot has been seen by over 3.5 million viewers since it aired, through delayed L+7 viewership on The CW, as well as repeat airings on TNT. It had the highest viewership for a CW Wednesday premiere since The 100 started in 2014, notes Deadline. New episodes of Kung Fu air Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET.

As for Stargirl, the series debuted on the now-defunct DC Universe streaming platform before episodes later aired on The CW. After DC Universe folded, The CW ordered a second season to keep the show alive as a summer series. Season 2 starts on Tuesday, Aug. 10 at 8 p.m. ET. The series is based on the Courtney Whitmore/Stargirl character from DC Comics, played by Brec Bassinger. The main cast also features Yvette Monreal, Anjelika Washington, Cameron Gellman, Trae Roman, Meg DeLacy, Luke Wilson, Hunter Sansone, and Nick Tarabay.

“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,” The CW CEO Mark Pedowitz said in a statement. “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.”

The CW has already renewed most of its line-up for the 2021-2022 TV season. Superman & Lois, Walker, All American, Batwoman, Charmed, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Dynasty, The Flash, In the Dark, Legacies, Nancy Drew, Riverdale and Roswell, New Mexico are all coming back next season. The Republic of Sarah, which doesn’t start until June, is the only show on the schedule without a renewal yet.