Although the upcomingKarate Kid: Legendswon’t serve as a direct sequel toCobra Kai, the 2025 legacy sequel is still being passed the torch by the Netflix spinoff show in one very specific way. Althoughall fiveKarate Kidmovies(six ifLegendsis considered) are now set within the same canon, the2010Karate Kidremake with Jack Chan is a fairly recent addition to the continuity, as it was originally a standalone project that was quite clearly a reimagining of the 1984 original. However,if it weren’t forCobra Kai, this aggressive retcon would never havehappened.
Karate Kid: Legends' castwill be much smaller when compared withCobra Kai. That being said, it’s arguably just as exciting - if not more so. The movie will unite Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han for the first time in franchise history - an occurrence that once would have been canonically incoherent.It will be Macchio’s firstKarate Kidmovie where he isn’t the title character, as Daniel will seemingly act as co-sensei to Ben Wang’s Lee Fong.
Karate Kid: Legends Is Doing For The 2010 Remake What Cobra Kai Did For Parts II & III
Jackie Chan’s Karate Kid character is finally getting the attention he deserves
Jackie Chan’sKarate Kidmovie was never bad, but it was always something of an outcast among the other franchise entries. It was always viewed as just a remake that was confusingly about Kung Fu instead of its titular style of combat. In other words, it never really had a life of its own. Now, with it being integrated into the Miyagi-verse, the 2010 project’s hard work is finally being validated. Interestingly,Cobra Kaihas achieved something very similar for otherKarate Kidinstallments.
1984
89%
1986
45%
1989
15%
1994
7%
2010
67%
2018-2025
93%
2025
TBC
Not starring Ralph Macchio[*]
1984’sTheKarate Kidmovie was a smash hit, but the next two movies weren’t quite as well-received, withThe Karate Kid Part IIIexperiencing an especially notable downturn at the box office. So,most of Macchio’s original trilogy fell by the wayside, with only the first movie being held in any kind of ongoing esteem. Decades later,Cobra Kaicame along and kickstarted the validation of bothThe Karate KidPart IIandThe Karate KidPart III.
Ralph Macchio’s Original Karate Kid Trilogy Got A Lot Better After Cobra Kai
The Netflix show brought back inert franchise storylines and improved them tenfold
BecauseCobra Kai’s main building block was the iconic friction between Daniel and Johnny, it was able to bring back later franchise storylines and characters much more effectively. The originalKarate Kidmovie is still viewed by many as one of thebest movies from the 1980s, but it was still improved even further by the existence ofCobra Kai, shedding new light on classic storylines while also introducing brand-new plots and characters. However, the Netflix legacy sequel show had a little more work to do when redeeming the second two Macchio movies.
The Best Thing About Jackie Chan’s Karate Kid Movie Might Not Be Back For Karate Kid: Legends
While many would expect Karate Kid: Legends to recreate the best aspect of Jackie Chan’s Karate Kid film, the new movie will likely defy expectations.
AlthoughCobra Kaiwas produced to make theKarate Kidmovies optional viewing, watching the original trilogy can still add extra context to the various storylines that run through the spinoff. BeforeCobra Kai, watching said movies could be a bit of a struggle after the end of the first, but that’s changed now. Just as the underwhelming second and third movies provide a strong basis forCobra Kai, the show also changes how certain legacy characters are viewed in their original setting, andKarate Kid: Legendswill pull off something very similar for Chan’s character and his 2010 remake.
Karate Kid: Legends
Cast
Karate Kid: Legends 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.
