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We still have to wait and see how the final season of Cobra Kai wraps up but, in the meantime, we have a little glimpse of what waits Daniel LaRusso after the dust settles from the series with the new trailer for Karate Kid: Legends. Ralph Maachio unites with martial arts icon Jackie Chan for one more round of blistering fists and feet action and this entry looks to ramp up the action design with the addition of martial arts whiz and actor Ben Wang who looks sensational as the new kid. All I can say is from this first salvo of footage, I’m there opening night if I can be!
The official synopsis reads: In Karate Kid: Legends, after a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) is uprooted from his home in Beijing and forced to move to New York City with his mother. Li struggles to let go of his past as he tries to fit in with his new classmates, and although he doesn’t want to fight, trouble seems to find him everywhere. When a new friend needs his help, Li enters a karate competition – but his skills alone aren’t enough. Li’s kung fu teacher Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.
The sixth film in the blockbuster franchise was written by Rob Lieber and directed by Jonathan Entwistle with additional cast members including Joshua Jackson, Shaunette Renée Wilson, Sadie Stanley, Ming-Na Wen, Aramis Knight, Wyatt Oleff, and Jennifer-Lyn Christie.
Maachio recently spoke about doing the sixth film in the franchise and he teased big things are in store for fans who watch this one.
“I’m not allowed to say a lot about it, except another awesome chapter is on its way,” Macchio said. “Ben Wang is a young kid in the show, he’s very exciting to watch. And working with Jackie [Chan], he’s a legend. They found, you know, it’s its own story in the vast universe, you know, so it’s another chapter in a different area that connects the mythology of where it all began. And fortunately, I was the guy that was there when it all began,“ Maachio said in an interview for Variety.
Maachio also talked about the longevity of playing such a beloved character and why he chose to do the film. “It was not a quick decision, because it was about protecting the Daniel LaRusso character, and finding where he would be at that point, and then protecting the whole legacy in the Miyagi-verse. Once we were able to line that up, for the ‘Cobra Kai’ story to lead into the new film — even though they’re separate ecosystems — it all made sense for me. Then, working with Jackie was just super exciting. I started this on the big screen. How cool is it to get it back to the big screen?”
Will Maachio return to the role again in the future? “I don’t want to overstay the welcome of a character that’s so beloved,” he stated. “But he’s aging like I am, so there could be other areas to explore as well. Never say never.“
Truth be told, although a lot of people are saying that the Karate Kid and Cobra Kai franchises should be put away, I can take as many of these as they can put out. There are so many avenues and characters that they can utilize that this enduring franchise can live on forever. I’m sure there are a lot of surprises in store for the finale of the show as well as the new movie so we will have to be patient. We shall see what fate beholds Daniel at the end of Cobra Kai and what new beginnings it brings as well.
