After six exciting seasons, Cobra Kai will end with the release of its final five episodes on Netflix in February 2025. The show is a part of The Karate Kid franchise, which began with the release of the eponymous film in 1984.
The lead actors in the martial arts drama are reprising their roles from the film franchise, including Ralph Macchio, who plays Daniel LaRusso, the two-time All-Valley Karate Champion and the arch-rival of Johnny Lawrence, played by William Zabka.
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As Cobra Kai is coming to an end, audiences are wondering about the fate of the iconic Karate Kid characters. Ralph Macchio has opened up about the future of Daniel LaRusso, revealing the character will continue in the upcoming film, Karate Kid: Legends.
Daniel LaRusso will appear in Karate Kid: Legends following the conclusion of Cobra Kai
Karate Kid: Legends is the sixth installment in the film franchise, based in the same universe as Cobra Kai. The film is set three years after the events of the television series. Ralph Macchio talked about Daniel LaRusso’s appearance in the upcoming film in an interview with Variety.
Macchio revealed that the filmmakers put great thought before deciding to continue LaRusso’s storyline in the movie, considering the legacy of the character. The actor said:
“It was not a quick decision, because it was about protecting the Daniel LaRusso character, and finding where he would be at that point, and then protecting the whole legacy in the Miyagi-verse.”
Macchio also expressed his excitement about returning to the big screen after playing LaRusso on the small screen for more than six years:
“Once we were able to line that up, for the ‘Cobra Kai’ story to lead into the new film — even though they’re separate ecosystems — it all made sense for me. Then, working with Jackie was just super exciting. I started this on the big screen. How cool is it to get it back to the big screen?”
The actor further discussed if Karate Kid: Legends will mark his final appearance as LaRusso, stating that he is open to playing the character in more projects. He said:
“I don’t want to overstay the welcome of a character that’s so beloved. But he’s aging like I am, so there could be other areas to explore as well. Never say never.”
Ralph Macchio has teamed up with Jackie Chan for Karate Kid: Legends
Karate Kid: Legends stars Ralph Macchio along with Jackie Chan, who reprises his role as Mr. Han from the 2010 remake of The Karate Kid. The movie follows Daniel LaRusso, who goes to Beijing and meets Mr. Han.
The two need to collaborate to train a new student, Li Fong, but face friction as their teaching methods drastically contrast each other. The movie is directed by Jonathan Entwistle, with a script from Rob Lieber.
Apart from Macchio and Chan, Karate Kid: Legends also stars Ben Wang, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Joshua Jackson, Wyatt Oleff, Danny McBride, Ming-Na Wen, Aramis Knight, Jennifer-Lyn Christie, and Sadie Stanley.
Meanwhile, Cobra Kai showrunners are not involved in the development of the movie. In an interview with Screenrant, series co-creator Josh Heald revealed:
“The guys and I are not personally involved in the movie. That's a Sony feature, we kind of exist in this universe, so as we are wrapping our series, Ralph is actually going to go off to participate and film that movie.”
Karate Kid: Legends will be released in theaters on May 30, 2025. On the other hand, the final episodes of Cobra Kai season 6 will premiere on Netflix on February 13, 2025.
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