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A new life was breathed into The Karate Kid franchise when the first season of Cobra Kai was released in 2018. The show continued the storyline established in 1984's The Karate Kid and brought back Ralph Macchio and William Zabka in their respective roles. However, there was a movie in 2010 that was named the same as the 1984 film that starred Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith.
The upcoming theatrical entry in The Karate Kid franchise, titled Karate Kid: Legends intends to bridge the gap between 2018's Cobra Kai and 2010's The Karate Kid. In Legends, we see Ralph Macchio reprise his role as Daniel LaRusso to meet Jackie Chan's Mr. Han, who we first saw in the 2010 The Karate Kid. It is unconfirmed if other Cobra Kai cast members will appear in Legends though.
That's because the events of Karate Kid: Legends take place three years after the conclusion of Cobra Kai Season 6, which was split into three parts consisting of five episodes each. From what we see in the trailer, both Mr. Han and LaRusso join forces to train a new kid. This is how the synopsis for the new film reads:
"After a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn't want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren't enough. Li's kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown."
Will anyone from Cobra Kai appear in Karate Kid: Legends?
As of now, Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso is the only Cobra Kai character returning who is officially confirmed to appear in Karate Kid: Legends. However, Legends may probably have references to William Zabka's Johnny Lawrence and LaRusso's children and wife, Amanda.
Just like in the case of Cobra Kai, Legends will also focus on Mr. Miyagi's legacy. It is also assumed that during the events of Legends, Daniel would've overcome his issues with Mr. Miyagi after earning the latter's past in Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 2. While fans of the show will miss seeing the characters, Karate Kid: Legends is positioned to show viewers a different and new side of the franchise.
As of now, it looks like Daniel is the only character who links the past and the present of The Karate Kid franchise.
What did director Jonathan Entwistle about Cobra Kai's connection to Karate Kid: Legends?
Director Jonathan Entwistle sat down with Entertainment Weekly on December 19, 2024. In that interview, the director revealed that he frequently interacts with the people working in Cobra Kai behind the scenes. He was doing so to link the Netflix series with the movie. Here is what Entwistle said to Entertainment Weekly:
"I have been a huge fan of Cobra Kai right from the beginning, and that's one of the reasons that I thought this was such an exciting project. I was excited about the idea that the films and the series can all be part of one family. I've had some really detailed conversations with the Cobra Kai team about just cool stuff that we can do in the movie and can make this whole thing feel holistic. And obviously, Ralph is really, really close to it after all those years on Cobra Kai, and they've been involved in little steps along the way. Everything we talked about made it into the movie in some way or other, either through Ralph or through the conversations. We’re really excited that we've added another piece to the overall universe."
What does Entwistle's comment mean?
Entwistle's quote confirms that Legends will have references to events that play out in Cobra Kai. If Daniel has reconciled with Mr. Miyagi's dark past during the show's concluding part, he would apply whatever he learns at the end of the show and apply those lessons while training the new kid Li Fong played by Ben Wang.
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Cobra Kai Season 6 Part 3 consisting of five episodes will begin streaming on February 13, 2025. After that, Karate Kid: Legends will be released in cinema halls across the world on May 30, 2025. If you haven't watched Cobra Kai, you can watch all the seasons on Netflix.
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