Karate Kid: Legends is arriving later this year, bringing the martial arts franchise back to the big screen for the first time in 15 years. Combining the karate of the original movies (and Cobra Kai) and the kung fu of the 2010 remake, Legends sees Jackie Chan's Mr. Han and Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso join forces to train a new prodigy: Li Fong.
While there are still several months still to wait before Karate Kid: Legends hits the multiplex, we've got everything you need to know about the new movie right here to tide you over in the meantime. Keep reading to get the lowdown on Karate Kid: Legend's release date, the film's first trailer, a full cast list, some quotes from the director about the plot, and more.
Karate Kid: Legends release date
Karate Kid: Legends is set to arrive in theaters on May 30, 2025.
The movie was originally meant to be released back in July 2024, before being pushed back to December 2024 and again to its current release date.
Karate Kid: Legends trailer
The first Karate Kid: Legends trailer arrived in December 2024 and shows Mr. Han paying a visit to Daniel LaRusso to enlist his help in training Li Fong to become the next Karate Kid. "Li is to me what you meant to Sensei Miyagi," Mr. Han explains. We get to see some of this training, too, as well as Mr. Han and Daniel getting in on the action. You can watch the full trailer above.
Karate Kid: Legends cast
The cast of Karate Kid: Legends sees OG Karate Kid Ralph Macchio return as Daniel LaRusso, as well as Jackie Chan reprising his role as Mr. Han from 2010's Karate Kid remake. Newcomer Ben Wang takes on the titular role as Li Fong, and he's joined by The Book of Boba Fett's Ming-Na Wen, The Righteous Gemstones' Danny McBride, and more. You can see the full cast list below.
- Jackie Chan as Mr. Han
- Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso
- Ben Wang as Li Fong
- Joshua Jackson as Victor
- Shaunette Renée Wilson as Ms. Morgan
- Sadie Stanley
- Ming-Na Wen
- Aramis Knight
- Wyatt Oleff
- Danny McBride
- Jennifer-Lyn Christie
Karate Kid: Legends plot
Karate Kid: Legends is set to combine the worlds – and martial arts – of Netflix spin-off series Cobra Kai, the original Karate Kid movies, and the 2010 remake, starring Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith. "I was excited about the idea that the films and the series can all be part of one family," director Jonathan Entwistle told Entertainment Weekly.
"I've had some really detailed conversations with the Cobra Kai team about just cool stuff that we can do in the movie and can make this whole thing feel holistic."
As for where it sits on the franchise's timeline, the movie is set three years after Cobra Kai season 6. Per the official synopsis, "After a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong 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 enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown."
For more, get up to speed with all the other best upcoming movies with our guide to 2025's movie release dates.
