The universe of Karate Kid continues to expand, and now it does so with an exciting reunion for fans of the franchise. Jackie Chan y Ralph Macchio co-star in the new movie Karate Kid: Legendswhose first trailer was revealed this Tuesday.
In this action-packed and nostalgia-packed trailer, Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) and Mr. Han (Chan) can be seen uniting their philosophies and combat styles to train a new apprentice, Li Fong, played by Ben Wang.
The images feature an intense combination of training scenes, drama and street combat in the vibrant city of New York, where most of the story takes place.
Karate Kid: Legends follows the story of Li Fong, a teenager who moves from Beijing to The Big Apple after a family tragedy. Like Daniel LaRusso in his day, Li faces difficulties fitting into his new surroundings, encountering a series of conflicts and fights at school. Despite his skill in kung fu, he realizes that he needs something more to face the situations that arise.
This is where Mr. Han’s return comes into play (Jackie Chan), who, after witnessing Li’s difficulties, asks for Daniel’s help (Ralph Macchio) to train the young prodigy.
“Li is to me what you meant to Sensei Miyagi,” Mr. Han says to Daniel in one of the trailer scenes.
Together, they combine their martial arts styles, kung fu and karate, to help Li prepare for a competition in which he must face the best martial arts students.
The concept of “two branches, one tree,” which appears in this preview, is a direct reference to the connection between the apprentices, their mentors, and the philosophy that unites these characters despite their different origins.
Ben Wang, known for his role in American Born Chineseis the one who plays Li Fong, and managed to get the role in a competitive global casting of 10,000 applicants. A decisive factor was his experience in martial arts and taekwondo.
“I was the target audience when that movie came out. “I was the same age as the character,” Wang told Entertainment Weekly about his memories of the 2010 film. It was with that feature film that he fell in love with the franchise. “I also grew up watching Jackie Chan movies. It was with whom I discovered what the job of an actor was.”.
In addition to Macchio, Chan and Wang, the cast includes Ming-Na Wen (The Mandalorian), who will play Li Fong’s mother; Joshua Jackson (Dawson’s Creek) as a key antagonist; and Sadie Stanley (Kim Possible), who will play an important role as Li’s friend and companion on her journey.
Undoubtedly, as it takes place after the end of Cobra Kai, there is a lot of curiosity among fans about how these two contents could come together.
The director, when speaking with the specialized magazine, also agreed that one of the most exciting parts of this project was connect the worlds of Karate Kid y Cobra Kai. “I was excited about the idea that the movies and the series could be part of the same family,” commented the director, who explained that there were many conversations with the Netflix series team to give a “holistic” feel to this experiment. .
“Everything we’ve talked about has made it into the film in one way or another, whether through Ralph or through conversations. We are very happy to have added another piece to the overall universe”he explained.
Karate Kid: Legends It is scheduled for world premiere on May 30, 2025.
