Although Karate Kid: Legends won’t serve as a direct continuation to Cobra Kai, the upcoming legacy sequel will still settle a long-running debate about the Netflix spinoff show. Although the return of Jackie Chan as Mr. Han for the first time since 2010 is certainly exciting, it’s actually the franchise’s future that Legends is celebrating rather than its past. When Karate Kid: Legends is released in 2025, the series’ next era will be especially clear.
Ralph Macchio helped launch the Karate Kid franchise in 1984 when he first played Daniel LaRusso alongside Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi. Of all five Karate Kid movies to date, Macchio has appeared in three of them. He was replaced as Mr. Miyagi’s student by Hilary Swank’s Julie Pierce when The Next Karate Kid was released in 1994. Interestingly, Chan’s 2010 movie was a remake at the time, so Jaden Smith’s Dre Parker wasn’t a direct Daniel replacement, but rather a reimagining of the character. Cobra Kai has largely ignored the 2010 effort, but Legends will not.
Karate Kid: Legacy Has The Clear “New Karate Kid” That Cobra Kai Never Had
Cobra Kai doesn’t have an obvious protagonist (it has several)
There’s never been any doubt who the franchise’s titular character has been in any of the feature-length installments, notwithstanding the theory about William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence being the true protagonist of the first movie. Karate Kid: Legends is continuing that trend. Although Macchio is returning, Ben Wang’s Li Fong is quite clearly inheriting the mantle of the franchise’s main character. This is something that Cobra Kai never had.
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New Karate Kid Movie Timeline Gives Away A Major Part Of Daniel’s Cobra Kai Ending
Karate Kid: Legends being set three years after the finale of Cobra Kai spoils a major aspect of Daniel’s ending in the Netflix series.
The Netflix show lacks a clear protagonist, as the title could go to many of the characters. It could be argued that Daniel is still the main character, or maybe it’s Johnny. Alternatively, any number of the younger characters like Miguel, Robby, or Sam could conceivably be the show’s “Karate Kid.” Pretty much all the students at every dojo have an underdog story, so it could be said to water down the original storyline that Daniel went through in 1984. Regardless, Karate Kid: Legends won’t experience the same problems, as Li Fong is the new hero.
Karate Kid: Legacy Seems To Be A More Traditional Karate Kid Story That Cobra Kai
Li Fong’s training will probably be the main focus of Karate Kid: Legends
Cobra Kai has been a slow-burning story, with the character(s) being focused on changing as the show has progressed. This, of course, has been intentional, and the execution has been brilliant. However, it does stray from the Karate Kid formula established in the movies. As such, the show is sort of its own thing that can be enjoyed in isolation. Inversely, although Karate Kid: Legends is probably also being made as a jumping-on point for fans as Cobra Kai was, the upcoming movie looks to be following an arc far more similar to the previous movies.
Karate Kid: Legends (2025) is a sequel to Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid directed by Jonathan Entwistle. The film sees Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan reprising their roles, continuing the legacy of martial arts mentorship and rivalry in a new era of challenges and apprentices.
