Karate KidThe 1984 film starring Ralph Macchio struck gold upon its initial release, spawning three sequels. There was a reboot in 2010, but the revival of the original franchise took center stage when YouTube Red, later renamed YouTube Premium, breathed new life into it with Cobra Kai in 2018. The series’ massive success led it to outgrow YouTube’s premium subscription service, leading to a move to Netflix ahead of its third season.
During an interview with Jake’s views on YouTube, Ralph Macchio was asked about the possible inclusion of Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan in Cobra Kai and how these newcomers can integrate with the series’ established characters.
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Ralph Macchio on his chances of returning to the franchise
Since Ralph Macchio ruled out the appearance of two characters, he left the door open for the potential inclusion of a third character from the films into the series. In his response, Macchio also noted that, on the other hand, a character like Julie Pierce, played by Hilary Swank, had a connection to Miyagi. He was referring to the 1994 film. The next karate kid which became the last part of the series before the 2010 reboot.
Macchio said (via YouTube):
“The flip side of this is that someone like Julie Pierce, who played the role of Hilary Swank, actually knew Miyagi.”
The prospect of Julie Pierce appearing in the series was previously hinted at by people associated with Cobra Kai. During the Deadline Contenders TV panel in April 2022, Hayden Schlossberg mentioned that Swank’s character was among the options for potential inclusion in the series. Cobra Kai.
Swank, who collaborated with Netflix on the 2020 sci-fi series. Away, was candid about the show. She noted that she is often asked about a possible appearance in the continuation of the series. She did not confirm her involvement, but did not reject the idea either. The outcome remains uncertain and we will have to wait for further developments.
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Ralph Macchio almost abandoned the franchise after the presentation of the spin-off
During the 1990s, Ralph Macchio was hesitant about the reboot proposals presented. However, given the recent success Cobra Kai, it is clear that this turned out to be a profitable decision. Asked by Jimmy Kimmel Jimmy Kimmel Live About previous ideas for rebooting the series and whether he abandoned them, Macchio responded:
Macchio told Kimmel:
“Over the years I was very hesitant to come back, I just felt like The Karate Kid movie and that franchise was so, like I said, fan-favorite that I didn’t want to mess with it. But yeah, over the years I realized, you know, you know, I think it was more in terms of people wanting to see it more than it was in terms of how we could help it.”
During a conversation with Jimmy Kimmel, when asked about a specific idea that he had no choice but to consider, the 61-year-old American actor explained that the concept is reminiscent of the Star Wars universe, where the idea of the Jedi returning as phantoms entities has great mystical significance.
Cobra Kai can be watched on Netflix.
Read also: ‘It was almost a spiritual event for me’: Ralph Macchio had a surreal experience after visiting Pat Morita’s birthplace for Cobra Kai
Source: YouTube