Jackie Chan to Return in New ‘Karate Kid’ Movie

Cobra Kai has rekindled the magic of the Karate Kid franchise by bringing back several iconic characters. The series continues to be immensely popular, featuring Ralph Macchio and William Zabka reprising their roles from the original movies in a gripping story of enemies turned allies. The excitement doesn’t end there as a new Karate Kid movie with Jackie Chan reprising his role as Mr. Han is on the horizon.

Fans are now eagerly hoping for a crossover that will unite the Karate Kid universe within Cobra Kai.

The Karate Kid series originally starred Ralph Macchio in three films as Daniel LaRusso and featured a fourth movie with Hilary Swank stepping in as the new lead while Pat Morita’s Mr. Miyagi remained a constant presence. In 2010, the series received a fresh take with Jackie Chan playing Mr. Han, mentoring a new young karate student portrayed by Jaden Smith.

Scheduled for release in 2025, the new Karate Kid film will see Ralph Macchio returning as Daniel LaRusso, joined by Jackie Chan back as Mr. Han. The duo will train a new character, portrayed by Ben Wang. With Macchio’s continued presence on Cobra Kai, fans are enthusiastic about the prospects of a crossover.

There is also anticipation that the upcoming season of Cobra Kai might hint at connections to the new movie. However, fans might be disappointed to learn that the 2025 Karate Kid film will not cross paths with Cobra Kai. The two projects are separate entities, with different production companies behind them, ensuring no direct tie-ins between the series and the movie.

Cobra Kai showrunner Josh Heald clarified this distinction in a statement via Screen Rant, saying, “That’s a Sony feature, and we exist in this universe, so as we are wrapping our series, Ralph is actually going to go off to participate and film that movie. But our series doesn’t set up the movie.” While both the movie and the series feature Daniel LaRusso, they will operate independently and won’t intersect in their storytelling.

Heald also confirmed that since the new film is set in the “Mr. Han part of the story’s universe,” characters and allies from Cobra Kai will not appear in the movie. This separation extends to Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han, who will not be featured in Cobra Kai either.

Nonetheless, there remains hope that Hilary Swank’s Julie Pierce might make an appearance in Cobra Kai, potentially tying together another piece of the original Karate Kid legacy within the series.

Excited about the next season of Cobra Kai? Looking forward to the new Karate Kid movie? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Source: Screen Rant