2025’s upcoming Karate Kid movie is giving me the incredibly unexpected chance to watch two characters face off, and I cannot wait to see if it happens. The cast of the new Karate Kid movie hasn’t yet been fully confirmed, although certain actors have been announced. However, I’m sure I’m not alone in my prediction that the legacy sequel will feature not just characters from the original Karate Kid movies, but also figures from Cobra Kai. Interestingly, the fight I’m hoping for involves someone who originated in a completely different arm of the franchise.
I’ve seen all the Karate Kid movies, and I have to say I think Cobra Kai is better than almost all of them. That being said, I’m also aware the spinoff show wouldn’t exist without the original films. So, while I hope the cast of Cobra Kai isn’t swept entirely aside for 2025’s Karate Kid movie, I’m more excited about another character’s presence who has never appeared in the same project as Mr. Miyagi, or even the legacy sequel show.
There’s A Chance Daniel LaRusso Will Fight Mr. Han In The New Karate Kid
Jackie Chan’s 2010 Karate Kid remake is now part of the main canon
The announcement of the upcoming Karate Kid movie came with the shocking reveal that Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han will star opposite Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso. When Chan’s Karate Kid remake was released in 2010, it was originally set in its own universe, away from the main timeline. Now that the remake has been integrated with the original movies and Cobra Kai, the door is open for Mr. Han to fight Daniel. At first, I was a little confused by the franchise’s decision to bring Chan’s character from the remake into the main continuity, but now I’m just thrilled.
It’s possible the pair could be enemies, although I think that’s pretty unlikely given Chan’s character is the remake’s version of Daniel’s late sensei.
There have been very few details about the movie’s plot released so far, so it’s difficult to delineate a reason why Daniel would exchange blows with Mr. Han. It’s possible the pair could be enemies, although I think that’s pretty unlikely given Chan’s character is the remake’s version of Daniel’s late sensei. What’s perhaps more likely is the pair will choose to fight as a voluntary challenge.
Daniel vs. Mr. Han: Who Would Win In A Fight?
Both Karate Kid characters’ disparate fighting styles makes it tricky to predict a winner
I’m really torn about two things when it comes to Hr. Han fighting Daniel LaRusso. Firstly, I’m not sure who I’d want to win out of the two men. Although Chan has only played his Karate Kid character once, I really like his in-universe persona. Granted, his story is similar to that of Mr. Miyagi’s, but there are key differences. Secondly, I find myself struggling to decide whether Daniel would be victorious over Mr. Han or if the reverse would be true.
There is only one entry in the
Karate Kid
franchise that Macchio was not involved with: 1994’s
The Next Karate Kid
.
There are a few things to consider when trying to predict the victor. For example, Daniel and Mr. Han aren’t trained in the same form of martial arts. While Daniel is adept at Karate, Mr. Han favors Kung Fu. So, there could be an advantage or disadvantage to either party depending on how they make use of their abilities. Perhaps most saliently, Mr. Han is roughly ten older than Daniel. While this may give Macchio’s character an edge in other franchises, age tends to only really provide more experience with none of the downsides in the Karate Kid universe.
There’s far more evidence to back up Daniel’s prowess in a fight, so it would be easy to say that he would beat Mr. Han.
There’s far more evidence to back up Daniel’s prowess in a fight, so it would be easy to say that he would beat Mr. Han. However, the footage of Mr. Han’s fights in 2010’s Karate Kid then-remake paints Chan’s character as an incredibly capable martial artist. He fights with much more conviction, flow, and style than Daniel LaRusso. So, my money would be on Mr. Han walking away from the fight as the winner – but it would be a very close contest.
Ralph Macchio And Jackie Chan In The Same Movie Makes The Karate Kid Reboot Worth It
I’d have been happy for the franchise to end after Cobra Kai season 6
Other than 1984’s The Karate Kid and Chan’s 2010 movie, I have absolutely no desire to rewatch any of the other movies in the franchise. Macchio’s second and third movies never lived up to the quality of the original, and neither did Hilary Swank’s The Next Karate Kid in 1994. The way the series sputtered out of existence meant I was dubious when Cobra Kai began, but the spinoff ultimately turned out to be brilliant. With the show drawing to an end, I’m happy to let the saga finally conclude after redeeming itself so many years later.
If I’m being honest, I don’t think I’d be too excited about another Karate Kid movie if it weren’t for the unexpected team-up of Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan. Both actors have done brilliant things for the franchise in the years before its Cobra Kai-fueled resurgence. It may be an incredibly meta move to canonize the Karate Kid remake and fold it into the main franchise, but I also think that crazy decision is part of what has me so hyped.
