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Cobra Kai Creators Definitely Interested in Mr. Miyagi Prequel Series

Cobra Kai co-creator Hayden Schlossberg shared that they've discussed spinoffs and would definitely want to do a Mr. Miyagi prequel series.

Just so there's no confusion, there's still a whole lot more of the final season of the "Karate Kide" spinoff sequel left to go before the end credits roll for the final time – with Part 2 set for later this year and Part 3 sometime in 2025. But that doesn't mean that it's too soon for Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg to start thinking about where they want to take the universe of Ralph Macchio and William Zabka-starring Cobra Kai after the franchise wraps its run.

Checking in with The Hollywood Reporter, the trio was asked for some insights into what their long-term planning is looking like. Though noting that they "think about spinoffs with 'Cobra Kai' all the time,' Schlossberg made it clear that their focus has been on making sure that they stick the landing with the final season before looking to how things could expand. "We've just been focused on Cobra Kai and finishing it off. And right now, we're in the process of editing the last couple episodes. Once that's done, we'll hopefully have some exciting things," Schlossberg noted. That said? It really sounds like they want to do a prequel series showcasing Mr. Miyagi – even speaking with the writer of the original "Karate Kid" film regarding backstory possibilities.

"We think about spinoffs with 'Cobra Kai' all the time. 'Cobra Kai' itself is, in a way, a spinoff of 'The Karate Kid.' We took the bully from 'The Karate Kid,' we took that branch and created our own tree out of it, and we feel like we could do that with any of the characters on the show. We definitely thought about that as we're tying things up with all the characters. We think about the fun of following them in their futures, and in addition, we think about the past." Schlossberg shared.

From there, the series co-creator discussed introducing Mr. Miyagi's past into the narrative. "It is one of the reasons why we did the Miyagi box story this season. It opens up all these questions about Mr. Miyagi and what his life was like, and that's been something we've been wanting to do for a while. We've talked to Robert Mark Kamen, the writer of the original 'Karate Kid' who based this whole movie off his sensei who studied Okinawan karate; we've been talking about all this Miyagi backstory with him, which helped us with season six stuff. Now that we're done, we can actually start getting into this stuff," Schlossberg added.

In a follow-up that addressed whether or not that meant that a Mr. Miyagi prequel series was in the planning stages, Schlossberg reaffirmed that "we definitely want to do that and have been talking about that" but that their focus in the short-term has to be on Cobra Kai. "As we're finishing that up, we'll see exactly what path we take in terms of spinoffs, but it is definitely something that we've been wanting to do," he added.

Joining Macchio & Zabka on the final run are Martin Kove, Xolo Maridueña, Jacob Bertrand, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, Peyton List, Gianni DeCenzo, Courtney Henggeler, Vanessa Rubio, Dallas Dupree Young, Yuji Okumoto, Alicia Hannah-Kim, Griffin Santopietro, and Oona O'Brien. Now, here's a look back at previously released previews for the final season:

Netflix's Cobra Kai is written and executive-produced by Heald, Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg via their production company, Counterbalance Entertainment. Will Smith, James Lassiter, and Caleeb Pinkett executive produce for Westbrook Studios – along with Susan Ekins (in association with Sony Pictures Television), with Macchio and Zabka also serving as executive producers. The first five seasons of the "Karate Kid" spinoff series are currently streaming on Netflix.

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