Everything We Know About Karate Kid: Legends

Wax On, Wax Off. For those of us who lived through the 1980s, The Karate Kid has been in our lives in one way or another. Even if you have never seen any of the films, you know what Wax On, Wax Off means. In 2018, we got to take a trip back to the All Valley Karate Tournament to see what Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence were up to. The series Cobra Kai became a big hit on Netflix (after moving from YouTube Red), but with that series winding down, are we saying goodbye to our beloved characters? Not quite yet.

World’s Collide

Before Cobra Kai became a hit, they tried once again to get some juice out of the Karate Kid IP. Only this time without any previous characters. In 2010, a “remake” of The Karate Kid was made. They transported the action to China with a young Jaden Smith learning Kung Fu from a wise Jackie Chan. The movie was a hit, but a sequel never materialized.

When Cobra Kai hit, fans began to wonder when some of the characters from the movies would start appearing. Outside of Johnny and Daniel, not many showed up in the first two seasons. Then the gates opened up, and we’ve seen the likes of Elizabeth Shue, Martin Kove, Thomas Ian Griffith, Yuji Okumoto, and Sean Kanan reprise their characters from the movie series. We’re still holding out hope for an appearance by Hillary Swank in the final season.

With the new film Karate Kid: Legends, Ralph Macchio is reprising his role as Daniel LaRusso, but this time, he’ll be teaming up with Jackie Chan’s character Mr. Han. This creates a bridge and retcons what the 2010 film actually was. It’s no longer a remake but another story in the same universe.

What’s It About?

It seems like it might be more of the same as we saw in the original Karate Kid movies. A young kid is getting bullied and turns to martial arts and a wise instructor to help them through their problems. That was basically the plot of the original four movies and the 2010 reboot. This time, it looks like Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han will be playing the wisened martial arts instructors. It looks like it will be set three years after the end of Cobra Kai. The premiere date for the film was even pushed back to accommodate the show’s series finale.

Different story synopsis doesn’t seem to know if the story is set in the United States or China. The official description on IMDB says it takes place in Beijing, while others, such as Wikipedia, claim that the titular “Karate Kid” will be a young kid on the East Coast. Either way, it looks like school will be back in session once again. What does a new Karate Kid movie look like in 2024, where bullying is looked at a whole lot differently than in the 80s, and a young kid hanging out with an old man might raise a few eyebrows?

Who’s In It?

Are we going to see some of our favorite characters from the previous movies and the Cobra Kai series? Sadly, it doesn’t look like it. As previously stated, Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan will be back, but the rest of the cast seems to be filled with new characters.

Ben Wang

Just like with the original film, producers searched worldwide to find the perfect fit for the title character. Ben Wang was chosen and will be playing Li Fong. He’ll be seeking the help of both Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso. It seems he’ll be torn between his new mentors and which approach works best for him. Does he concentrate on Kung Fu with Mr. Han or immerse himself in Miyagi-Do?

Joshua Jackson

He is only listed as Victor on the IMDB page, and there is no indication of where that makes him fall. The great thing about Joshua Jackson is that over the past decade, he has proven that, with his acting chops, he can fall on either side of the fence. We all remember him as the lovable screw-up Pacey from Dawson’s Creek. Well, lately, he has been taking on darker roles, such as Dr. Duntsch on Doctor Death. It should be great either way.

Ming-Na Wen

A veteran actor, Wen is always great no matter what she is cast in. Old-school martial arts fans will remember her as Chun-Li from the disastrous 1994 Street Fighter film, but Disney fans will know her as the voice of Mulan. We’ve seen her tackle some fun action roles in the recent past on shows like Agents Of Shield and The Book Of Boba Fett. Maybe she’ll be able to play a more motherly role as Li Fong’s mother. However, most mothers can be scarier than just about anything when they find out their child is being bullied.

When Can We See It?

It was originally scheduled to be released on June 7th, 2024. However, the 2023 strikes pushed it back. They decided it might make a good release for the holiday season 2024 when the box office is quiet. When Netflix decided to split up the final season of Cobra Kai into three different parts, they realized it might confuse the audience as the final collection of episodes hadn’t come out yet. Finally, it has been decided that on May 30th, 2025, it will finally be time to drop it into audiences. We’ll have to see if that is a smart move, as the summer season is always crowded around Memorial Day.

Are you excited about catching Karate Kid: Legends? Let us know in the comments below.