Yesterday, Sony Pictures Entertainment dropped a trailer for Karate Kid: Legends, a new film starring Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio, dropping May 30, 2025. While the audience's reaction was positive, fans asked the question: Will this tie into the Netflix series Cobra Kai?
Karate Kid as a franchise seemed to decline with each passing movie. While most love the first two starring Daniel-san being trained by Mister Miyagi, the third jumped the shark for ridiculous content. Matters were only made worse as the next installment, The Next Karate Kid, as well as another Karate Kid movie starring Jayden Smith that had nothing to do with the prior franchise, seemed to turn the beloved martial arts movies toward “modern audiences” with female and minority replacement characters.
In 2018, a franchise reboot for Karate Kid came in the form of Cobra Kai. This YouTube TV series brought back the original villain, Johnny Lawrence, as he’s an adult with karate having shaped his life for the worse. He starts as a deadbeat single father trying to get back on track, helping a young Mexican kid rise to stardom, which upsets his own son, who joins Daniel Larusso and his Miyagi-inspired dojo.
Fans loved Cobra Kai, which became an immediate internet sensation. Netflix bought the property and wokeness trickled into one season which received negative feedback and got dialed back as the karate drama continued.
The show is wrapping up this year, which led many to speculate about the future of Karate Kid now that the new generation has grown out of high school.
We received some answers in the Karate Kid: Legends trailer. The trailer features Jackie Chan training a young Asian kid who approaches Daniel Larusso to help him get to the next level.
What we know so far is that Ralph Macchio is reprising his role as Daniel Larusso in the film, which makes many speculate as to whether this will be in continuity with Cobra Kai or at least give some nod to the popular streaming show.
The story involves s kung fu student who moves from Beijing to New York City. While Cobra Kai takes place in a Los Angeles suburb. Jackie Chan is also reprising his role as Mr. Han from the Jayden Smith iteration of the film, which ties all of the films together.
Ralph Macchio has already given an interview to People stating that the new movie will respect the “Miyagi-verse.”
Cobra Kai showrunner Josh Heald has also said, “But our series doesn't set up the movie, the movie kind of exists in its own piece of its own universe..."
With the series not setting up the film and it being in its own space bodes well as fans appreciate standalone films where they don’t have to understand a complex interconnected universe to watch a movie. However, having canon elements and connecting the film with Cobra Kai will also please fans who like some sense of continuity.
It appears as if Karate Kid: Legends will be loosely connected, and Cobra Kai might receive a reference or two. There is also speculation that Johnny Lawrence could make a cameo appearance in the film.
What do you think of Karate Kid: Legends and Cobra Kai potentially being connected? Leave a comment and let us know.
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