Ralph Macchio explains how the new Karate Kid movie fits into the Cobra Kai timeline: "They're separate ecosystems"

Ralph Macchio has confirmed where Karate Kid: Legends, the latest installment in the franchise, takes place on the Cobra Kai timeline.

"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," Macchio told Variety. "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?”

The film takes place three years after the ending of Cobra Kai season 6 part 2, and sees Daniel and Amanda LaRusso relocating outside of the United States. In the trailer that was released behind closed doors at New York Comic Con, Mr. Han (who Jackie Chan reprises from the 2011 Karate Kid remake) pays a visit to Daniel at what we can only assume is the new Miyagi-Do. Han enlists Daniel to help him train Li Fong (Ben Wang) to become the next Karate Kid. Jonathan Entwistle (The End of the F***ing World) directs from a screenplay penned by Rob Lieber (Peter Rabbit).

Karate Kid: Legends is set to hit theaters on May 30, 2025. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond, or, skip through our list of movie release dates.