Jackie Chan’s shock return as Hr. Han inKarate Kid: Legendscontinues the trend set in motion byCobra Kaiof bringing back characters from the series' classic era, butMr. Han’s comeback also highlights one of the legacy sequel show’s biggest absenceswho made their franchise debut in 1994. Chan’s role in theKarate Kid: Legendscastis arguably as meta as it is exciting, as he first played Mr. Han in the 2010 then-remake of the original 1984 movie. So, although it originally made sense why he never appeared inCobra Kai, now he seems like a glaring omission.
Withall theKarate Kidmoviesnow all being set in the Miyagi-verse, the franchise no longer has two branches. Instead, it’s now just one big saga. The franchise has managed to make theKarate KidandCobra Kaitimelinefeel far more cohesive thanks to the sequel show’s obsessive willingness to acknowledge the legacy characters from its universe.Chan’s 2010 effort was perhaps the most unexpected installment for the franchise to revisit, especially since there’s still one movie that has been almost completely ignored.
The Next Karate Kid Is The Only Movie Left For The Franchise To Revisit
Cobra Kaifunctions brilliantly as a self-contained narrative, as flashback sequences and archive footage essentially make theKarate Kidmovies optional viewing. It’s better to have also seen the films, but it’s not strictly necessary to do so. AlongsideCobra Kai’s original characters and storylines, the show has continuously tapped into the original movie trilogy with Ralph Macchio and brought familiar faces back into the fold. However,1994’sThe Next Karate Kidreplaced Macchio with Hilary Swank’s Julie Pierceand the failed fourth movie has been left out in the cold.
1984
90%
1986
47%
1989
15%
1994
7%
2010
66%
2018-2025
92%
2025
TBC
Now that Jackie Chan’s story is being revisited 15 years after its debut, skipping overThe Next Karate Kidseems very much like an intentional move rather than anything else. Macchio’s trilogy and Chan’s 2010 movie now all feel like they’re part of the same continuity, butThe Next Karate Kidseems pretty much on the cusp of being softly de-canonized. Sure, it’s not a great movie, but Macchio’s first two sequels also had incredibly weak elements, andCobra Kaivalidated them by giving them a chance not afforded toThe Next Karate Kid.
Will Hilary Swank’s Julie Appear In Cobra Kai’s Final Episodes?
Time is running out for Swank’s potential Cobra Kai cameo
The only significant way forCobra Kaito giveThe Next Karate Kidsome attention is to bring back Swank before the show ends.There has been a small nod to Swank’sKarate Kidmovie inCobra Kaiseason 6, with Mr. Miyagi’s first name differing from the one established in the original trilogy. Instead, it’s listed as his name inThe Next Karate Kid. So,the “incorrect” name on Mr. Miyagi’s passport inCobra Kaicould just be aNext Karate KidEaster Egg, or it could be a perfect way to set up a last-minute Hilary Swank cameo.
Karate Kid: Legends Is Continuing A Cobra Kai Tradition That Made The Franchise So Much Better
The Karate Kid franchise dates back to the first movie in 1984, and the upcoming legacy sequel is repeating its spinoff’s most redeeming quality.
TheCobra Kaicast and crew have been very coy and largely tip-lipped about a Hilary Swank comeback, but the consensus seems to be that it won’t happen. That being said, Hollywood is great at being deceptive with these kinds of things, so it could still take place. On the other hand, withCobra Kaiseason 6 preparing to wrap up, andKarate Kid: Legendsset for release, the focus will be other storylines, so there’s unlikely to be enough time to include a Julie cameo and introduce her to the other franchise characters.
