Stargirl, Kung Fu Renewed at The CW

Months after rumors started circulating on social media that The CW was set to renew Stargirl for a third season, the deal is done. Today that network not only announced a third season for Stargirl — showing faith in the not-yet-aired second season of the fan-favorite superhero drama from executive producers Geoff Johns and Rob Hardy — but a second season for freshman hit Kung Fu. Since The CW is working with super-producers Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter on both projects, the pair of high-profile renewals mark a real “good news, everyone!” moment behind the scenes at the network. Kung Fu has been one of the network’s biggest launches in recent years, and was expected to be a safe bet for renewal.

Stargirl, which centers on teen superhero Courtney Whitmore (Brec Bassinger), who learns that her stepfather was a member of the Golden Age superhero team the Justice Society of America. Taking a powerful piece of tech from his arsenal, she sets about creating her own heroic legacy as Stargirl. With a costume and a new set of heroes at her side, she finds herself squaring off with some of the villains who destroyed the JSA in the past.

The series takes place on Earth-2 in The CW‘s “Arrowverse,” but following the events of last season’s “Crisis on Infinite Earths,” that world is no longer accessible to the heroes of Supergirl, The Flash, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, Black Lightning, or Superman & Lois. It was originally set up for production at DC Universe, but when the platform pivoted to a comics-only service and abandoned original video content, it was picked up by The CW. The second season of the series will reportedly see Courtney facing off against Eclipso, one of DC’s most powerful villains.

In Kung Fu, a quarter-life crisis causes a young Chinese-American woman, Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang), to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to San Francisco, she finds her hometown is overrun with crime and corruption and her own parents (Tzi Ma and Kheng Hua Tan) are at the mercy of a powerful Triad. Nicky will rely on her tech-savvy sister (Shannon Dang), pre-med brother (Jon Prasida), Assistant District Attorney and ex-boyfriend (Gavin Stenhouse), and new love interest (Eddie Liu) as well as her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice … all while searching for the ruthless assassin (Gwendoline Yeo) who killed her Shaolin mentor and is now targeting her. Inspired by the original series created by Ed Spielman, KUNG FU is from Warner Bros. Television in association with Quinn’s House and Berlanti Productions, with writer/executive producer Christina M. Kim (“Blindspot,” “Lost”) and executive producers Martin Gero (“Blindspot,” “LA Complex”), Greg Berlanti (“Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Riverdale”) and Sarah Schechter (“Arrow,” “The Flash,” “Riverdale”).