Following Cobra Kai‘s final episodes next year, the Karate Kid: Legends movie will bring two senseis together to train a new “Karate Kid.” A new trailer doesn’t really explain why Daniel La Russo (Ralph Macchio) decides to join forces with Master Han (Jackie Chan), who suddenly shows up in the Valley and strolls into Miyagi-do. After a mere second of skepticism, Han must have said the magic words because Daniel is quickly down for an NYC voyage to meet Li (Ben Wang). Sure, Daniel has been engaging in soul searching regarding Mr. Miyagi, but we can only assume (unless given a reason otherwise) that the decision is part of the Miyagiverse’s heightened reality.
Also, NYC comes with the bonus of not (currently) being the place where Terry Silver is chomping on a cigar in a spa. No more jokes, though, because here is the trailer, which does not include The Next Karate Kid‘s Dre (Jaden Smith).
So, no Jaden Smith? Unless there’s a secret being kept by everybody involved, he’s sitting this one out. Smith also hasn’t commented on the subject while speaking in riddles on Twitter/X. We can assume that he’s moved onto different career interests and doesn’t wish to “jacket on, jacket off” in a movie again. With the trailer comes a synopsis:
In Karate Kid: Legends, after a family tragedy, kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) 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 (Jackie Chan) enlists original Karate Kid Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) for help, and Li learns a new way to fight, merging their two styles into one for the ultimate martial arts showdown.
Ben Wang, who is skilled in karate, kung fu, taekwondo, and kenpo, answered a global casting call last year and beat thousands of other hopefuls.
Karate Kid: Legends arrives in theaters on May 30, 2025.
