For months we knew that the senseis played by Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan would come together for a new film set in the karate kid universe. But, in a world where the Netflix show Cobra Kai exists, what exactly is this movie? Well, today at New York Comic Con, Sony finally pulled back the curtain a little on the movie we now know is called Karate Kid Legends.
The film stars Ben Wang as Li Fong, a new student who somehow learns martial arts from people like Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) and Mr. Han (Chan). Joshua Jackson, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Ming-Na Wen, Aramis Knight, Sadie Stanley, Wyatt Olef and Jennifer-Lyn Christie are also in the film. Chan and Macchio sent a video to introduce the film’s first trailer, which was only shown in the theater, but said that since New York City plays such an important role, it was the perfect place to do it.
What we learn from the trailer, or can at least try to discern, is that Mr. Han seemingly takes the lead between the two legacy characters. He talks about a tradition rooted in history, mentioning both kung fu and karate. We see him and LaRusso meet, and LaRusso assumes that he is looking for Mr. Miyagi. “I didn’t come looking for Mr. Miyagi,” Han says. “I came looking for you.”
We get shots of Li (Wang) walking around New York, being accosted on the subway, and sparring with Mr. Han. There are fights in the streets as Li is chased by an unknown assailant. Later, as the action reaches its peak and we cycle through different training montages with Li and Mr. Han, the trailer culminates with Li fighting in several matches at a tournament. “Two branches, one tree,” LaRusso says, hinting that he and Han will combine efforts for something.
We basically know what we could discern from the announcement, but not much else. It’s about the two senseis coming together in some way. They have a shared history that LaRusso is unaware of. Li is a student at the center of all this. It is primarily based in New York City. That last part, more than anything, provokes the answer to the big question: do the characters in Cobra Kai, which apparently ends before this, appear? Probably not, but anything is possible.
And while the trailer hasn’t been released publicly yet, we did receive a poster.
Legends are forever.
Jackie Chan, Ben Wang and Ralph Macchio star in Karate Kid: Legends, exclusively in theaters May 30, 2025. #KarateKidMovie pic.twitter.com/Lk22lw3YJS
– Karate Kid Movie (@KarateKidMovie) October 18, 2024
We will have much more about the world of The karate kid as Cobra Kai returns to Netflix on November 15 with the second part of the final season. They will be followed by the show’s final episodes early next year, leading up to this movie.
Karate Kid Legendsdirected by Jonathan Entwistle, releases May 30, 2025.
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