Karate Kid: Legends Cast & Character Guide

Karate Kid: Legends' cast unites two sections of the franchise, bringing together actors and characters that are both unfamiliar and recognizable. Karate Kid: Legends' spin-off story was announced as early as 2022, capitalizing on the franchise's resurgence. While the ranking of Karate Kid movies often sees the latter two installments of the original trilogy looked back upon less fondly, the popularity of Cobra Kai began to usher in an era of revisionism for the franchise. With Cobra Kai season 6 ending the show, attention turned to the cinematic future of the martial arts series.

Thus, Karate Kid: Legends was born thanks to the franchise being more popular than ever. Karate Kid: Legends connects Mr. Miyagi with Mr. Han, making what seemed like a remake of the 1984 original - 2010's The Karate Kid - part of a larger shared universe. Karate Kid: Legends explores this even further, uniting two iconic characters from the franchise and seeing the return of their actors, all while introducing new characters after the popularity of Cobra Kai put The Karate Kid back on the map as a viable franchise in modern Hollywood.

Jackie Chan as Mr. Han

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Active Since: 1962

Actor: Jackie Chan is a Hong Kong actor born in Hong Kong. Chan is one of the most prolific martial arts actors working in Hollywood today, known for his early roles as a slapstick comedian who blended humor with martial artistry. Chan's early career saw him work in many Hong Kong films as a stuntman, leading to Chan's breakout role in Rush Hour. This movie saw Chan earn international fame, leading him to reprise his role in two sequels as well as continuing his work in both Hollywood and Hong Kong.

Chan's most notable Hollywood works from early in his career include Shanghai Noon and its sequel, Shanghai Knights. Chan also appeared in the likes of The Spy Next Door, 2010's The Karate Kid, The Foreigner, and provided the voice for Master Monkey in the Kung Fu Panda series. Beyond that, Chan's work in Hong Kong is prolific, including a lot of early directing work. For this reason, Chan is one of the most recognizable faces in modern cinema, be it from his extensive list of credits or his work as a stuntman and fight coordinator.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movie/TV Show Role Drunken Master Wong Fei-hung Rush Hour Chief Inspector Lee Shanghai Noon Chon Wang Kung Fu Panda Master Monkey (Voice) The Karate Kid Mr. Han The Foreigner Quan Ngoc Minh

Character: In Karate Kid: Legends, Jackie Chan reprises his role as Mr. Han from 2010's The Karate Kid. This film was initially considered a remake of the original 1984 film, yet Karate Kid: Legends solidifies the two as existing within the same universe. In The Karate Kid, Chan's Mr. Han is a maintenance man working in Beijing, China, who befriended a young child named Dre who had just moved from the United States. After realizing Dre is being bullied by students from a local karate dojo, Mr. Han begrudgingly agrees to train him.

In Karate Kid: Legends, Mr. Han travels to the United States to obtain the help of Daniel LaRusso. Mr. Han trains another student in Karate Kid: Legends by the name of Li and needs Daniel's help to train him properly. This stems from Daniel and Han's shared connection with the ever-wise and inspiring Mr. Miyagi from the original Karate Kid movies.

Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso

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Active Since: 1979

Actor: Ralph Macchio is an American actor born in Huntington, New York. Macchio's early career saw him perform in movies like Up the Academy and The Outsiders, as well as the sitcom Eight Is Enough. Undoubtedly, Macchio's breakout role was 1984's The Karate Kid, leading to its two sequels and legacy sequel, Cobra Kai. Beyond the Karate Kid franchise, Macchio is known for his roles in projects like My Cousin Vinny, Crossroads, and Ugly Betty.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movie/TV Show Role The Outsiders Johnny Cade Eight Is Enough Jeremy Andretti The Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso My Cousin Vinny Bill Gambini Ugly Betty Archie Rodriguez Cobra Kai Daniel LaRusso

Character: Ralph Macchio plays Daniel LaRusso in Karate Kid: Legends, reprising his role from The Karate Kid, The Karate Kid - Part II, The Karate Kid - Part III, and Cobra Kai. Daniel LaRusso began similarly to Dre in Mr. Han's story, as a bullied child moving to a new area. That said, Daniel simply moved to another area of the US, finding himself at odds with a popular group of bullies from the karate dojo Cobra Kai. Like Han and Dre, Daniel befriended the maintenance man of his building, Mr. Miyagi.

Miyagi vowed to teach Daniel karate as a means of standing up to his bullies. Eventually, Daniel becomes the Karate Kid across three movies. In Cobra Kai, Daniel reckoned with the resurgence of the titular dojo, finding new enemies and becoming a teacher himself. Karate Kid: Legends is set years after Cobra Kai, with Daniel agreeing to help Mr. Han train a new fighter in the ways of karate.

Ben Wang as Li Fong

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Active Since: 2021

Actor: Ben Wang is a Chinese actor born in Shanghai. Wang's young age means he has a relatively short list of credits thus far, with his earlier work coming in films like Sex Appeal, Chang Can Dunk, and Sight. Wang is perhaps best known for his role in the series American Born Chinese, as well as his appearance in the 2024 remake of Mean Girls. That said, Karate Kid: Legends is sure to be Wang's breakout role, with the film's popularity spearheading Wang into a new franchise.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movie/TV Show Role Sex Appeal Franklin Chang Can Dunk Bo American Born Chinese Jin Wang Mean Girls Jacob Zheng Bob's Burgers Sam (Voice) Karate Kid: Legends Li Fong

Character: Ben Wang portrays Li Fong in Karate Kid: Legends. While the latter part of the title applies to Mr. Han and Daniel LaRusso, the former part will undoubtedly become eponymous with Ben Wang's Li Fong. Li is a student of Mr. Han in Karate Kid: Legends and is fighting for the honor of his family as well as that of his master. Eventually, Li becomes a student of Daniel LaRusso also, with the once-Karate Kid joining forces with Mr. Han to provide the best training possible for Li as the next generation of the franchise is solidified.

Joshua Jackson as Victor

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Active Since: 1991

Actor: Joshua Jackson is a Canadian actor born in Vancouver, Canada. Jackson has a long list of credits in the world of TV after beginning an illustrious career in the early 1990s. Jackson's breakout film performance is one of his first, with the actor rising to fame in The Mighty Ducks and its sequels. Jackson also had roles in Scream 2 and a brief cameo as himself in Ocean's Eleven. Where TV is concerned, Jackson is known for a multitude of projects, including Dawson's Creek, Fringe, The Affair, Dr. Death, and Doctor Odyssey.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movie/TV Show Role The Mighty Ducks Charlie Conway Dawson's Creek Pacey Witter Fringe Peter Bishop The Affair Cole Lockhart Doctor Odyssey Dr. Max Bankman Karate Kid: Legends Victor

Character: In Karate Kid: Legends, Joshua Jackson portrays Victor. Admittedly, little has been revealed about the character of Victor thus far, including whether his allegiances lie with Li, Mr. Han, and Daniel LaRusso or whether he is more of an antagonist. As more is revealed about the movie, more too will be unveiled about Victor.

Shaunette Renée Wilson as Ms. Morgan

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Active Since: 2017

Actor: Shaunette Renée Wilson is an American actor born in Linden, Guyana. Wilson's career, like Wang's, is relatively fresh, meaning the actor does not have as extensive a list of credits as Chan, Macchio, or Jackson. Wilson is known for her brief appearance in Black Panther, leading to a further collaboration with Disney on 2023's Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Wilson is best known for her role in Fox's medical drama, The Resident, in which she is part of the main cast.

Notable Movies & TV Shows:

Movie/TV Show Role Black Panther Dora Milaje (1992) Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Agent Mason The Resident Dr. Mina Okafor Into the Dark Marie Karate Kid: Legends Ms. Morgan

Character: Shaunette Renée Wilson is playing Ms. Morgan in Karate Kid: Legends. Much like with Jackson's character, Victor, little has been revealed about Ms. Morgan's role thus far. Given her character's credit, specifically the use of the title "Ms.," it can be assumed that Wilson will be playing a figure of authority. This means she could be playing a teacher in Li's school, or someone the character looks up to.

Karate Kid: Legends Supporting Cast & Characters

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Beyond the actors and characters mentioned above, Karate Kid: Legends includes several other supporting roles. Well-known actors like Ming-Na Wen, Danny McBride, Aramis Knight, Sadie Stanley, Wyatt Oleff, and Jennifer-Lyn Christie have also been cast in the movie. As of right now, their roles are undisclosed, yet their appearances have been confirmed for Karate Kid: Legends.