Fans of the decades-spanning "Karate Kid" film franchise, as well as the "Cobra Kai" Netflix spin-off — which returns to the streamer with part two of its sixth season on November 15, with the third and final installment to come on a to-be-announced date in 2025 — were recently overjoyed to finally get some intel about the upcoming "Karate Kid" movie, which we've come to learn will be called "Karate Kid: Legends."
The much-anticipated entry into the Miyagi-verse will unite the original karate kid himself, Daniel LaRusso (played by Ralph Macchio), with another familiar face from the franchise: martial arts icon Jackie Chan, who memorably portrayed Mr. Han in the 2010 Jaden Smith-led reboot.
And though neither Macchio nor Chan was on hand to promote the film during last week's Sony panel at New York Comic Con, the studio did give attendees an early peek at the trailer for the film, which is set to hit theaters in the United States and Canada on May 30, 2025. (Though it was originally set to debut in June 2024, "Legends" was delayed due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike and to avoid any conflicts with the final season of "Cobra Kai.")
Sadly, the trailer has not been made public yet — as of press time, any clips you find on YouTube are convincing blends of scenes from "Cobra Kai" and the 2010 "Karate Kid" film — but live dispatches from NYCC gave details about what fans can expect from the video. According to Deadline, the brief clip gives off O.G. "Karate Kid" vibes, showing Chan's Mr. Han as he visits Daniel LaRusso at Miyagi-Do to recruit a young student: Li Fong, played by newcomer Ben Wang ("American Born Chinese").
The trailer includes a quick tribute to Daniel's own beloved karate instructor, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) — whose complicated legacy Daniel will continue to struggle with in the second installment of "Cobra Kai" season 6 — as well as first looks at Li Fong encountering everything from subway bullies to love interests (played by Sadie Stanley). And as with the 1984 original "Karate Kid" film, Wang's character will also be put to the test through both rigorous training as well as his first karate competition.
While the public will still have to wait to check out the trailer for themselves, Sony also unveiled the official movie for "Karate Kid: Legends," which sees both the old guard of Macchio and Chan welcoming Wang as a new star of the franchise. Joining that leading trio in the film's cast are Joshua Jackson ("Doctor Odyssey"), Shaunette Renée Wilson ("Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny"), Ming-Na Wen ("Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.") and Aramis Knight ("Ms. Marvel").
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But you won't have to wait until May 2025 to reunite with Daniel LaRusso — the student-turned-sensei will be back when "Cobra Kai" season 6 returns on November 15 with five new episodes. Tom's Guide will keep you posted on all updates surrounding the next installment of "Cobra Kai," including behind-the-scenes tidbits, casting intel and showrunner insights. In the meantime, you can revisit the first five seasons of the martial arts comedy-drama, as well as the first five episodes of season 6 on Netflix right now.
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Christina Izzo
Writer
Christina Izzo is a writer-editor covering culture, food and drink, travel and general lifestyle in New York City. She was previously the Deputy Editor at My Imperfect Life, the Features Editor at Rachael Ray In Season and Reveal, as well as the Food & Drink Editor and chief restaurant critic at Time Out New York.
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