In Kung Fu Panda 4, cinema's best panda Po (Jack Black) has two gay dads.
Okay, so Po’s parents aren’t canonically gay, though if they want to come out in a future installment they are extremely welcome to do so. They’re not even a couple. Mr. Ping (James Hong) has raised Po as his adoptive father ever since he was a baby, while Li Shan (Bryan Cranston) is Po’s biological father who first appeared in Kung Fu Panda 3. Much of that film involved the two figuring out their new roles in Po’s life as co-parents, but in Kung Fu Panda 4, they’ve settled comfortably into their dynamic.
Openly queer characters in Western animation movies are incredibly rare. That’s especially true of DreamWorks, who in nearly 50 films have no characters who’ve actually said they’re queer. We’ve come close; How To Train Your Dragon’s Gobbler says “This is why I’ve never married. This, and one other reason”; Margot in Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken wears a rainbow flag pin; Floyd in Trolls Band Together wears an earring on his right ear. (Look, I told you it was slim pickings!).
That’s why Shan and Ping’s relationship is so welcome—they don’t profess their love to one another, but they don’t need to. They are Po’s two dads, and it's something they’re both happy with. No longer are they vying for Po’s attention, accepting one another as equals, both equally invested in Po’s development. What more could you want from your dads?
(That Kung Fu Panda 4 topped the box office over the weekend, carrying the franchise to $2 billion total, only makes this storyline more meaningful.)
With the fourth film focusing on fewer characters than ever before, we spend a lot of time with Po’s two dads, who occupy the B-story as they chase after Po on his next big adventure. They know he’s capable of great things, but what parent could resist keeping an eye on their child who’s about to battle a wicked sorceress? So naturally, they follow him, from a respectful distance, to make sure he’s going to be alright. Watching them together is often the most satisfying part of Kung Fu Panda 4, and their dynamic is very much that of a romantic couple, complete with loving bickering, boundless appreciation for one another, and a willingness to work together for the mutual love they have for their child.
In a pivotal moment in the third act, Po is in serious danger, and his fathers must come to his aid by getting Zhen (Awkwafina) and the den of thieves to fight alongside him:
“I’m his father,” Li Shan says.
“I’m also his father,” Mr. Ping adds.
“Ok, that doesn’t matter,” Zhen responds.
It’s a striking moment in Kung Fu Panda 4. Zhen doesn’t mean Shan and Ping don’t matter, but Po having two dads doesn’t matter. She can clearly see their love and passion for their child. So can everyone else in the room; their impassioned plea to help Po brings everyone together to help save the day. Oh, and when the battle is in full swing, Li Shan and Mr. Ping celebrate their hard work while lying back on beach loungers with cocktails in hand. And that is queer coding at its most fabulous.
