Since its first episode in 1984, The Karate Kid the franchise evolved into a grand universe after its rebirth as Cobra Kai in 2018. The franchise saw 2 more installments starring Ralph Macchio as Daniel La Russo and Pat Morita returning to their roles with the stakes rising after each sequel.
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After YouTube’s renewal of the universe, it enjoyed a massive resurgence in popularity for its nuanced take on the hero-villain dynamic by showing the aftermath of the downfall of Johnny Lawrence played by William Zabka. The show has been renewed for its 5th season.
Jaden Smith as The Karate Kid
The franchise was rebooted in 2010, with Will Smith’s son Jaden Smith as the protagonist and Jackie Chan as the teacher. They used many of the themes and story beats from the original, but put a different spin on it by setting the film in China.
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The film was criticized for featuring kung fu despite its name The Karate Kid, nevertheless, the film was well received by fans and critics. But later in 2021, the creators of Cobra Kai confirmed that the film was not canon in its universe.
A new Karate Kid movie is in the works
Sony Pictures is reportedly looking to make a new Karate Kid movie starring a 17-year-old Chinese actor. The character, named Li, is seen as a skilled fighter who will move from Beijing to New York.
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The film will follow similar beats to the original and reboot, but feature the young star training an older man, the father of her love. Similar to the reboot, the film will feature Kung Fu rather than Karate.
Will it be in the Miyagi verse or in the universe of Jaden Smith?
Since the universe is different, the creators calling the current universe the “Miyagi Verse”, fans do not know which universe they will see. However, many have speculated that the movie will see Jaden Smith return to the franchise, which doesn’t get them very excited.
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Once the original franchise won the hearts of fans, they weren’t interested in bringing Jaden Smith back, with his grumpy online behavior not helping his case. Most of them are hoping to see the film tie into the series, giving more depth to Miyagi’s beloved verse.
Season 5 of Cobra Kai is set to release on Netflix on September 9, 2022.
Source: Murphy’s Multiverse
