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Cobra Kai: Macchio Fought for Post-Finale "Karate Kid: Legends" Debut

Cobra Kai star Ralph Macchio revealed how he fought to ensure that "Karate Kid: Legends" opened after the finale of the hit Netflix series.

There was a time when The Karate Kid franchise star Ralph Macchio was more than happy to move on from the franchise he helped build alongside the late Pat Morita. While he lampooned his Daniel LaRusso on certain occasions, the opportunity to tell the next chapter and become a sensei himself on Netflix's Cobra Kai became just the thing the actor needed to reinvigorate not only his love for the franchise, alongside his 1984 film co-star William Zabka, in one of the most unlikely redemption stories on television. It also paved the way and opened Macchio to new possibilities, including accepting, perhaps at one point, a then-unfeasible crossover with the 2010 Karate Kid remake with star Jackie Chan for the latest film Karate Kid: Legends, which sees the two senseis cross paths. Macchio spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about why he felt it was right to delay Legend's release to give franchise fans something after the final five episodes of the sixth and final season of Cobra Kai, which was released in February 2025. The following contains minor spoilers.

Karate Kid: Legends Star Ralph Macchio on Why He Didn't Want Film's Release to Conflict with 'Cobra Kai'

Before the idea of Legends came to Macchio, the actor firmly established that the Chan and Jaden Smith-starred film differed from the original film canon since it didn't involve Morita's character, as it was deemed the "Miyagi-verse." "I was territorial upon first hearing of [2010's The Karate Kid]. I didn't understand what they were going for, and I had walked in the shoes for so long. I just felt, 'How are you going to do a retread of [1984's 'The Karate Kid']?'" Macchio said. "But they made a movie that was well-crafted and highly successful. I always describe that movie as a lesson in how you can tell virtually the same story, but still make it a completely different movie."

Director Jonathan Entwistle and writer Rob Lieber found a way to have Chan's Mr. Han tie into the Miyagi-verse as it's his ancestors who taught one of Nariyoshi's (Morita) ancestors kung-fu in China, which helped give birth to Miyagi-Do Karate, tapping into the lore from 1986's Part II, which is set in Japan. The film sees Mr. Han seek Daniel in his L.A. home to help train his student, Li Fong (Ben Wang) in the ways of Miyagi-Do Karate in New York City. Karate Kid: Legends, which takes place three years after the events of Cobra Kai, had numerous release dates, with June, then December 2024, before its final release date of May 30.

"When ['Karate Kid: Legends'] was initially slated for a December 13, 2024, release, I was screaming constantly every day: 'This movie has to come out after [Cobra Kai] finishes,'" Macchio said. "And once marketing got together and realized that [the December '24 release] would not benefit either, they did the right thing [by delaying until May 2025]. 'Karate Kid: Legends' is now coming at a time where I like to believe that 'Cobra Kai' fans are thirsty for another chapter." As far as the future of Daniel and the Karate Kid franchise, Cobra Kai has left breadcrumbs with some interesting pairings to start, including the two original leads sharing a meal at a sushi restaurant as Johnny teaches his next class, and Daniel continuing on his duties running his family auto dealership while acting as a co-sensei for Johnny's Cobra Kai and teaching Miyagi-Do.

"There are a few balls up in the air. I don't know which one is going to land. I hope all of them do, or some of them do, or one of them does," Macchio said. "The success of 'Karate Kid: Legends' could propel all that stuff. It's different, but the same. There's a Miyagi-ism for you." Karate Kid: Legends, which also stars Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Wyatt Oleff, Ming-Na Wen, and Armis Knight, is in theaters. For more on the film, you can check out the entire interview. All six seasons of Cobra Kai and the first three Karate Kid films are available on Netflix.

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