The Karate Kid film franchise continues this May, weaving together a sensational martial arts universe. Here’s everything we know about Karate Kid: Legends.
When the first Karate Kid movie hit theaters in June 1984, no one thought it would continue to going strong a solid 40 years later … but it did. Thanks to 2010’s Karate Kid reboot, followed by the release of hit Netflix action/sport series Cobra Kai (2018), the universe is alive and well, as active as a dragon breathing fire all over the place. Although the reboot was not set in continuity with the original films of the franchise, its upcoming sequel is set to take care of that and weave together the sensational martial arts universe. Here’s everything we know about Karate Kid: Legends.
The plot of Karate Kid: Legends
After a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother—literally flipping the Karate Kid reboot’s script on its head. Much like our main character in the reboot, Li struggles to let go of his past while trying to fit in with his new classmates and adjust to his new surroundings, which are full of bullies.
Though he doesn’t want to fight, he’s often left with no choice, as trouble seems to find him everywhere he goes. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition, wherein he learns his kung fu skills alone are not enough. Li’s sifu, or kung fu teacher, Mr. Han, who also mentored our young protagonist in 2010’s The Karate Kid, enlists help and reaches out to 1984 All-Valley Karate Champion Daniel LaRusso. With their mentoring efforts combined, Li learns a new way to fight, merging Han’s and LaRusso’s styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.
The cast of Karate Kid: Legends
Ralph Macchio will reprise his role as titular Karate Kid character Daniel LaRusso, and Jackie Chan will reprise his role as kung-fu badass Mr. Han. Outside of the karate franchise, Macchio saw great success with films Crossroads (1986) and My Cousin Vinny (1992), as well as TV shows like Ugly Betty and The Deuce. Chan has appeared in over 150 films since the mid-70s and became a global superstar with Rumble in the Bronx (1995). Chan is a legit martial artist with a black belt in Hapkido, and he is also trained in multiple forms of kung fu, as well as several other martial styles. There is no doubt that seeing these two work together in this setting will be nothing short of exciting and exhilarating.
Portraying Legends protagonist Li Fong will be Ben Wang, who recently played the lead role of Jin Wang in the Disney+ series American Born Chinese and appeared in the musical re-imagining of Mean Girls (2024).
Additionally, Joshua Jackson (Dawson’s Creek, The Affair), Shaunette Renée Wilson (Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny), Ming-Na Wen (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D), Sadie Stanley (Cruel Summer tv series), Aramis Knight (Into the Badlands), and Wyatt Oleff (It Chapter Two) will star in the film, though their roles have not yet been disclosed.
What the trailer reveals
On December 17, 2024, Sony Pictures released an official trailer for Karate Kid: Legends, showing us that two senseis are often better than one. Given that 2010’s The Karate Kid actually focused on kung fu, not karate, the Legends trailer explains how these two corners of the franchise will come together, and it’s all because of—you guessed it!—Mr. Miyagi.
The trailer begins with Li Fong training diligently in a dojo under Mr. Han’s guidance in China. We then see Fong arrive in New York, as well as Mr. Han, who is forced to seek out Daniel and share his connection to Mr. Miyagi with him. What follows are some intense, impressive training sequence scenes as Li trains in the ways of both kung fu and karate. It also reveals that Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi are acquainted through a mysterious shared past, making this trailer (and movie) both intriguing and exciting for fans of the franchise.
The highlight of the trailer is when Daniel hands Li a headband and the two discuss the new mentorship with Mr. Han. The sentiment of “two branches, one tree” symbolizes the start of a new era for the Karate Kid franchise, which continues their reflection on the past as they create a new future.
The link between Karate Kid: Legends and Cobra Kai
While Karate Kid: Legends is not a direct sequel to Cobra Kai, it is set in the same universe. Aside from Ralph Macchio returning as the crane-kicking, car-selling karate king, the Legends storyline picks up three years after the events of the final season of Cobra Kai, which wraps up on Netflix on February 13, 2025.
LaRusso has been on quite the journey since he became the target of martial arts bullies in 1984’s The Karate Kid and found his infamous sifu Mr. Miyagi, played by the late, great Pat Morita, who took him under his wing and trained him to defend himself. Karate Kid: Legends will continue LaRusso’s path from the show to the film, ultimately tying the entire franchise together.
Additionally, the link between the show and the upcoming film is their successful effort at bringing even more attention to overlooked parts of The Karate Kid franchise. When Cobra Kai released in 2018, it altered people’s perception of its predecessor film series. While the original film was well loved and received, its successors, The Karate Kid 2 and 3, were not.
Netflix’s release of Cobra Kai revived old characters and storylines from the movies and made them relevant again, and by focusing on the rivalry between LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), the hit karate franchise was brought back into the spotlight.
Karate Kid: Legends is doing something similar for 2010’s The Karate Kid. The film focused on kung fu instead of karate and revolved around a similar situation to LaRusso’s in 1984. After becoming the subject of bullies in his new city (and country), Dre is mentored by Mr. Han, who is one of the most skilled fighters in the entire franchise. Han is the only fighter to beat six skilled opponents without even striking them. He’s also the counterpart to Mr. Miyagi. Legends will bring Mr. Han into the martial arts continuum by teaming him up with Daniel LaRusso. This officially makes the 2010 movie part of the Karate Kid universe, and both Cobra Kai and Karate Kid: Legends will bring the entire world together to honor once forgotten characters and stories.
Director Jonathan Entwistle told Entertainment Weekly, “I can say that Mr. Han and Mr. Miyagi are the connection to Daniel. The Han family and the Miyagi family are connected all the way back to the old times. And there is a mention of this within the Karate Kid movie canon for those people who want to go looking for it.”
Karate Kid: Legends release date
Karate Kid: Legends originally had a release date of June 7, 2024, which would have put it releasing during the 40th anniversary month of the first Karate Kid movie’s release. Sony Pictures shifted its release to December 2024 due to the Hollywood strikes, and the release date has once again shifted. Karate Kid: Legends is now scheduled for release in theaters in the United States and Canada on Friday, May 30, 2025.
Will Karate Kid: Legends be available to stream?
As of now, it’s too early to tell if Karate Kid: Legends will be available for streaming, and we likely won’t hear anything until after the film premieres. However, the film is a Sony Pictures production and Sony does have an ongoing deal with Netflix, which has many of their new movies landing on the streaming service after both their theatrical and VOD runs have concluded. Given that Cobra Kai is also available on Netflix, it makes sense, then, that Karate Kid: Legends will end up on the streaming giant as well.
Stay tuned, kids. And while you’re at it, brush up on those martial skills and prepare yourself for what looks to be the showdown of karate/kung fu showdowns.
