The Karate Kid nostalgia train isn’t stopping, even with the conclusion of Cobra Kai. Next up is Karate Kid: Legends, which brings back Ralph Macchio from the original 1984 movie and Jackie Chan from the 2010 reboot. Together, they must train a new student, played by Ben Yang, who represents the next generation of fighter schooled under Mr. Miyagi’s learning tree.
SYNOPSIS: In Karate Kid: Legends, 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. 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.
The story takes place three years after the events of Cobra Kai, which just wrapped up its sixth and final season on Netflix. Whether any characters from the show appear other than Macchio is unclear.
The cast includes Joshua Jackson, Sadie Stanley, Ming-Na Wen, Aramis Knight, Wyatt Oleff, and Danny McBride.
Jonathan Entwistle directs from a script by Rob Lieber. Entwistle is best known for creating hit shows The End of the F**king World and I Am Not Okay With This.
Karate Kid: Legends hits theaters on May 30th 2025 from Sony Pictures.
