- Karate Kid: Legends has unveiled its first trailer
- The movie combines all elements of the Karate Kid franchise
- Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan star
Karate Kid: Legends is blending much of the franchise’s storied history together to tell a brand new story.
The project was first announced back in 2022. It will be a continuation of the original Karate Kid franchise starring Ralph Macchio, directed by Jonathan Entwhistle.
At the same time, the film is also a continuation of the 2010 remake The Karate Kid starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. As if that wasn’t enough, it’ll also include elements of the spin-off Netflix series Cobra Kai.
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Macchio starred in three Karate Kid movies alongside Pat Morita’s Mr Miyagi movies before Smith took over the franchise with Chan. In the interviewing years, Macchio returned to the role for Cobra Kai. This series told a new tale set in the same chronology as the first three movies in the franchise.
Still with us? Good because your training on Karate Kid Legends has only just begun. Read on to discover everything we know about this hotly-tipped sequel including its release date, plot, trailer and more.
When is Karate Kid: Legends released?
Karate Kid: Legends will fight its way into American cinemas on 30 May 2025. The movie will have the same release date in the United Kingdom.
This wasn’t the film’s original release date plan though. Originally, Karate Kid: Legends was set for a 7 June 2024 release date. However, this was delayed due to the 2023 Hollywood strikes which brought productions to a grinding halt.
As a result, the film set a 13 December 2024 release date but this soon changed as well to provide some breathing room between the movie’s arrival and the final season of Cobra Kai which has new episodes hitting Netflix in November 2024 and February 2025.
Finally, the movie landed on 30 May 2025 which is where it has stayed.
Is there a trailer for Karate Kid: Legends?
Yes, the first trailer for Karate Kid Legends landed on 17 December 2024. Watch it above.
It showed us the return of Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso and his introduction to Chan’s Mr. Han, the mentor character featured in the 2010 reboot.
The film also introduced us to the film’s new young hero Li Fong, played by American Born Chinese star Ben Wang. Fong is set to be at the centre of this new story which blends both Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han’s elements of The Karate Kid world.
Who is starring?
As previously mentioned, Macchio will return as original franchise hero and Cobra Kai star Daniel LaRusso alongside Chan who once again plays martial arts master Mister Han.
Together, they’ll be joined by Wang as Li Fong. Wang’s casting was announced following an open casting call which began in November 2023.
The news was revealed via a short video featuring Macchio and Chan explaining that they were set to star in a new Karate Kid movie and while also looking for the next Karate Kid.
Wang was confirmed to have bagged the role in February 2024. His character has been described as a Chinese teenager who moves to America’s East Coast before starting martial arts training.
The film will also feature appearances from Joshua Jackson as a character named Victor and Shaunette Renée Wilson as a character called Ms. Morgan. Sadie Stanley, Aramis Knight, Ming-Na Wen, Wyatt Oleff and Jennifer-lyn Christie have also been cast but their roles remain a mystery.
Comic actor Danny McBride is also set to star but his role is also under wraps.
Is Johnny Lawrence in Karate Kid: Legends?
One glaring casting omission in Karate Kid: Legends is William Zapka’s Johnny Lawrence. Johnny played the main antagonist in the original Karate Kid movie, returning for its 1986 sequel.
Years later, the character made a fun return in the spin-off series Cobra Kai. Here, he became the protagonist of a new story chronicling how his fight with Danny LaRusso in 1984’s The Karate Kid impacted his life and future.
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So far, Zapka has not been confirmed to appear in Karate Kid: Legends, despite it being set within the same narrative universe as Cobra Kai. That said, we shouldn’t completely rule out his return. Perhaps Johnny Lawrence could appear in a smaller, cameo capacity?
With Danny and Johnny now friends in the Cobra Kai universe, anything is possible.
What is the plot of Karate Kid: Legends?
According to the film’s official synopsis, Karate Kid: Legends will follow a new hero forced to defend himself in new surroundings.
“After a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother,” explains the movie’s log-line. “Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn’t want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere.
“When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren’t enough. Li’s kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.”
Karate Kid: Legends will flip the narrative of the first movie.
1984’s The Karate Kid, saw an American teen uprooted and forced to fit in in a new hometown whereas 2024’s sequel will feature an Asian star forced to undergo the same experience.
The Karate Kid story so far
For all those unfamiliar with this martial arts franchise, the original film in the series, The Karate Kid, hit cinemas in 1984. It follows a young American teen (Macchio) who is trained by martial arts master Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) to fight in a karate tournament.
The film spawned a number of sequels, with Macchio returning for The Karate Kid Part II in 1986 and The Karate Kid Part 3 in 1989 alongside Morita. Macchio then left the franchise and didn’t return for 1994’s soft reboot The Next Karate Kid. While Morita continued to play Mr. Miyagi, he was instead joined by a young Hilary Swank as his new apprentice, Julie Pierce.
In 2010, the franchise was rebooted. The Karate Kid starred Smith as Dre Parker, a young boy who moves from Detroit to Beijing following the death of his father. Here, he meets Chan’s Mr Han who trains him to defend himself against local kids. Eventually, Dre uses his new skills to enter a martial arts tournament.
Cobra Kai first aired in 2018 on YouTube Red before being acquired by Netflix in 2020. The series followed Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence and the unlikely turns his life has taken, many of which can be traced back to his encounters with Macchio’s Danny LaRusso.
Deciding to re-open the infamous Cobra Kai dojo, Lawrence soon comes into contact with LaRusso and the pair eventually become unlikely allies while themselves becoming martial arts mentors.
