A Disappointing Cobra Kai Season 6 Update Rules Out Another Karate Kid Character Cameo

Summary Cobra Kai season 6 won't set up the 2025 Karate Kid movie, meaning no Jackie Chan cameo.

The Netflix series and the 2025 movie are separate entities, according to showrunner Josh Heald.

Cobra Kai has teased more Karate Kid cameos, but there aren't many exciting possibilities left.

The showrunners for Cobra Kai have given a disappointing update about the series' connection to the upcoming Karate Kid movie, indicating that a highly anticipated cameo won't happen after all. Though season 6 will be the last for the Netflix series, a new Karate Kid sequel will be released in 2025, following Daniel LaRusso as he takes on a brand new student. It was hoped that the plot of the coming film would be set up by the events of Cobra Kai season 6. Unfortunately, it seems that this won't be the case.

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Leading up to the release of Cobra Kai season 6, showrunner Josh Heald has clarified that the Netflix series and the 2025 Karate Kid movie are entirely separate entities and that Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso is the only connection between the two. This is a bit of a disappointment since the film being released so soon after the Cobra Kai finale seems to imply that the stories would tie into one another. This should have meant an exciting cameo appearance in season 6, but this news has squashed the hopes of Karate Kid fans.

Related Cobra Kai Season 6's Returning Karate Kid Cameos Teased By Co-Showrunner A Cobra Kai season 6 co-showrunner teases more returning Karate Kid cameos, as rumors continue to swirl about Hilary Swank making an appearance.

Cobra Kai Season 6 Not Setting Up Karate Kid 2025 Means Jackie Chan Probably Won't Appear

Cobra Kai Showrunners Have Teased More Karate Kid Cameos, But Jackie Chan Won't Be One Of Them

One of the exciting features of the upcoming Karate Kid movie is the return of Jackie Chan's character from the 2010 The Karate Kid reboot, Mr. Han. He and Macchio's Daniel will join forces to raise a new karate kid (played by Ben Wang). This crossover is a pretty big deal since audiences have been requesting a Chan cameo in Cobra Kai since the early seasons, and the big news seemed to imply that the actor would appear in season 6 to set up the movie. Unfortunately, Heald's comments suggest this won't happen after all.

The guys and I are not personally involved in the movie. That's a Sony feature, we kind of exist in this universe, so as we are wrapping our series, Ralph is actually going to go off to participate and film that movie. But our series doesn't set up the movie, the movie kind of exists in its own piece of its own universe with Jackie Chan's character, and Ralph's character, and the various other characters in that story. So, I think Daniel is the piece that that does tie in, but there's there's nothing, from a storytelling or a character journey in our season that directly feeds into that project.

Of course, this could simply be Heald's attempt to mislead audiences, therefore ensuring that a Chan cameo is as impactful a surprise as possible. However, this seems unlikely. He and the other Cobra Kai showrunners had previously stated that the 2010 The Karate Kid movie exists in a sort of separate universe from Cobra Kai, and he seems to be sticking to this idea despite the coming crossover movie. Unless Sony and Netflix managed to come together to collaborate on scripts, audiences can probably take Heald at his word.

Cobra Kai season 6 is being released in 3 parts, the last of which will hit Netflix near the beginning of 2025. Karate Kid will be released on May 30, 2025.

Hilary Swank Has Implied That She Won't Appear In Cobra Kai Either

Hilary Swank's The Next Karate Kid Would Be The Other Worthwhile Cameo

This isn't the first time fans' hopes have been squashed leading up to Cobra Kai season 6. Just as there have been frequent requests for a Chan cameo, audiences have begged for Hilary Swank's Julie Pierce from The Next Karate Kid (1994) to appear before the Netflix series ends. There have been theories that Julie will be revealed to be Tory's mother, who has been kept mysteriously off-screen, or that she will be another sensei at the Sekai Taikai. However, Swank has already said that this won't be happening.

It seems that neither Chan nor Swank will be in Cobra Kai season 6, which is a little confusing since the showrunners have teased exciting new Karate Kid cameos in the coming episodes.

Swank noted in an interview that she is frequently asked whether or not she will be on Cobra Kai, and her answer (given well into filming for season 6) was, "I don't think I am, unfortunately." So, it seems that neither Chan nor Swank will be in Cobra Kai season 6, which is a little confusing since the showrunners have teased exciting new Karate Kid cameos in the coming episodes. Aside from these two actors, there are very few possibilities left.

There Aren't Many Other Exciting Options For Cobra Kai's Next Karate Kid Cameos

The Cobra Kai Season 6 Cameo Tease Might Be Setting The Show Up To Let Us Down

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Cobra Kai has already brought back several Karate Kid characters in its existing five seasons. Johnny and Daniel have, of course, been a constant feature from the beginning, but they have slowly been joined by the likes of John Kreese, Chozen Toguchi, Mike Barnes, Terry Silver, Ali Mills, Kumiko, and more. Chan and Swank's characters are among the very few that are left to appear, and after ruling them out, there isn't much for Cobra Kai audiences to get excited about.

Options have essentially been limited to minor Karate Kid characters, with Mike Barnes' sidekick, Dennis, or Chozen's friend from Japan, Toshio, remaining the most likely. While the writers for Cobra Kai could undoubtedly make these characters interesting and fun additions to the series, they don't carry the sort of nostalgic weight that audiences typically look for in a character cameo. The showrunners have teased some exciting appearances, and with the current possibilities, it seems Cobra Kai fans are doomed to be let down.