the trailer that merges the entire franchise

“Two branches. A tree.“ This is the motto of Karate Kid Legendsthe new feature film in the long franchise of the same name, and this one is far from trivial. After being scattered for more than 40 years, the universe initiated in 1984 with the first film Karate Kid will finally gather his troops for a grandiose new adventure. If you thought the series Cobra Kai ended up erasing the 2010 feature film reboot: you will be surprised. Almost 15 years ago now, Jackie Chan co-starred in a new Karate Kid alongside Jaden Smith. This production failed to give birth to a new franchise in its own right, before being eclipsed by Cobra Kai in 2018.

But now Jackie Chan makes an unexpected return in his role of Master Han, to train a new student. However, the young prodigy’s potential is such that he has no choice but to turn to another martial arts expert to lend him a hand. Ralph Macchio will therefore be there as Daniel LaRusso, the very first Karate Kid. And if we are to believe the first images and the synopsis of the scenario, suffice to say that the task promises to be tough.

The karate multiverse

The merger of the two versions of Karate Kid in a single cinematographic universe is enough to attract the attention of fans. The creators of Cobra Kai are not involved in the development of this new filmbut it’s a safe bet that the scenario will reflect the evolution of Daniel’s character. After six successful seasons on Netflix, it’s difficult to ignore this whole part of the universe. Karate Kid Legends will tell the story of Li Fong (played by Ben Wang), a young kung fu prodigy forced to move to New York with his mother. The teenager tries to leave his past behind to forge new bonds with his American comrades, but trouble seems to follow him everywhere.

To help a friend, Li will have to participate in a karate competition, but his prodigious skills alone will not be enough for him to win. This is how Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) and Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) will do everything in their power to help the young boy. It is by merging the very different styles of the two masters that Li Fong can become the ultimate fighter. The motto “Two branches. A tree” is therefore found even in this subtlety of the scenario. It remains to be seen whether the project will live up to expectations. It will be necessary to do at least as well as Cobra Kai to avoid losing spectators, whether they are long-time fans or newcomers. Verdict on May 28, 2025.

???? To not miss any news on the Journal du Geek, subscribe on Google News. And if you love us, we have a newsletter every morning.