- The Karate Kid franchise is far from over
- Daniel LaRusso and Jackie Chan appear in the new film
- New film is set three months after Cobra Kai ending
The sixth and final series of Cobra Kai is nearing its end in February 2025 on Netflix, but this is not to be the end of the Karate Kid franchise.
New movie Karate Kid: Legends is scheduled to be released in the United States and Canada on 30 May, 2025, and though it’s not technically a sequel to the show, it is set in the same universe.
The film was originally meant for release in December 2024, but the date was pushed back as to not clash with the final season of Cobra Kai, but the connections run deeper than that.
What links Cobra Kai and Karate Kid: Legends?
Daniel LaRusso, played by Ralph Macchio will appear in both, with the film being set three years after the final series of Cobra Kai.
Karate Kid: Legends director Johnathan Entwistle spoke to Entertainment Weekly and revealed he kept in touch with the Cobrai Kai team in order to build on-screen connections between his film and the tv show:
“I’ve had some really detailed conversations with the Cobra Kai team about just cool stuff that we can do in the movie and can make this whole thing feel holistic. And obviously, Ralph is really, really close to it after all those years on Cobra Kai, and they’ve been involved in little steps along the way. Everything we talked about made it into the movie in some way or other, either through Ralph or through the conversations. We’re really excited that we’ve added another piece to the overall universe.”
Read more: All the big moments from Golden Globes 2025
With only three months between the final part of the Netlix season airing and the new film being released, it’s going to be interesting to see how much of the story or its elements continue through. The ending of Cobra Kai could possibly set up the opening for Karate Kid: Legends.
A brief look at the Karate Kid franchise history
The beloved first Karate Kid movie (1984) was followed by three initial sequels: The Karate Kid Part II (1986), The Karate Kid Part III (1989), and The Next Karate Kid (1994). However, none of the sequels managed to capture the hearts of the people, nor the commercial success of the original film.
16 years later, in 2010, Jackie Chan starred in a loose remake of the first film, as Mr. Han – the counterpart of the late Mr. Miyagi. It featured a new set of characters and was set in China with a focus on kung-fu, despite still being titled The Karate Kid. It had no continuity links with the original stories.
When Cobra Kai came along in 2018 it started to tie the franchise together. Over the years of the series airing, it has covered over 35 years in the Karate Kid universe, between the first Karate Kid movie and Cobra Kai season 5. It brought back old characters and put a spotlight back on the 80’s films.
Read more: Star says He-Man film is different to the 80s cartoon
Now, with Karate Kid: Legends, it looks like the final piece of jigsaw is going to be put in place. Not only is Daniel LaRusso featuring, but Jackie Chan is reprising his role as Mr Han from the 2010 remake for the new film, as they team up to help train new student Li in Karate Kid: Legends.
This technically makes the 2010 film officially a part of The Karate Kid franchise and ties up some loose ends.
The final part to the Cobra Kai series will premiere on Netflix on 13 February, 2025 and three months later Karate Kid: Legends will hit the theaters.
