Cobra Kai continues Daniel LaRusso’s life, yet there’s a theory The Karate Kid reboot movie exists in Cobra Kai’s universe – so how does it work?
Jackie Chan’s The Karate Kid reboot is theorized to exist in Cobra Kai, and the theory actually works. The Karate Kid was rebooted in 2010 and retold the story of the 1984 classic. Switching some key elements of the story, such as names and locations, The Karate Kid still follows Daniel LaRusso’s original story of a young boy becoming a karate champion. Jackie Chan’s reboot performed decently but is not regarded as highly as the original which has since gone on to have two sequels.
The Karate Kid’s original movie is considered a classic and has recently been expanded into a wider universe with the Netflix series Cobra Kai. Cobra Kai follows Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence as adults, 34 years after the events of The Karate Kid. Mixing some original actors and new, fresh cast members, Daniel and Johnny’s rivalry reignites at the Cobra Kai dojo. Now five seasons in, Cobra Kai season 6 was announced by Netflix which will also be its last season, and after the end of season 5 of Cobra Kai, it is expected to have just as many twists and drama-filled episodes.
The Karate Kid 2010 Exists In Cobra Kai (But Was An Original Movie)
The Karate Kid 2010 is a remake of the original but with some aspects changed. Jaden Smith became Dre, who had to move to China due to his mother’s job where he met Mr. Han. Jackie Chan stars as Mr. Han, the reboots Mr. Miyagi. Unsurprisingly, Jackie Chan’s martial arts skills and his level of fame caused him to be mentioned in season 1 of Cobra Kai, establishing him as a real person in that universe. This inclusion sparked a theory that The Karate Kid 2010 is an actual movie in Cobra Kai, one the characters have likely seen.
When asked if Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan could ever appear in Cobra Kai to expand the universe, Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald confirmed this theory. They said mentioning Jackie Chan in Cobra Kai season 1 makes it impossible for him to appear as anyone else, as “If the characters on our show have seen a movie called The Karate Kid, they’ve seen that one” (via /Film). This means that not only does Chan’s The Karate Kid exist in Cobra Kai’s universe, but it will also be an original movie as Ralph Macchio’s original The Karate Kid cannot exist in that universe.
The Karate Kid Reboot’s Changes Make The Cobra Kai Theory Work
At first, it does not seem plausible to have the rebooted version of The Karate Kid as part of the Cobra Kai universe, but The Karate Kid’s changes make the theory work. Daniel LaRusso became Dre Parker, Mr. Miyagi became Mr. Han, and Johnny Lawrence became Cheng. Even The Karate Kid’s iconic “wax on, wax off” scene changed slightly, with Dre’s training being “jacket on, jacket off.” Aside from the general storyline, there are no hints to The Karate Kid’s reboot having any link to Cobra Kai, therefore there is no reason why the Cobra Kai characters would not have watched it.
Also, The Karate Kid being the original movie in Cobra Kai’s universe could have gone unnoticed. The character would have most likely seen a Karate-focused movie, but in the Cobra Kai universe, The Karate Kid may have flopped. The loose resemblance to Daniel’s youth could have gone unnoticed, especially if it did flop, or the characters did not make the connection. Plus, with so many “Karate Kids” being trained in different ways, and fighting in plenty of competitions, it might not be unusual in the Cobra Kai universe for the main character of The Karate Kid to have that story.
Daniel LaRusso’s Life Could Have Become A Karate Kid Movie
Now The Karate Kid reboot is definitely canon in Cobra Kai, it is not totally farfetched that Daniel LaRusso’s life was turned into a movie before the events of Cobra Kai. Daniel LaRusso had a sensational victory and completely defied the odds after his injury, something which all audiences love. It is not that ridiculous to think a Hollywood writer might intentionally base a movie on Daniel’s life, and the small local celebrity who became a Karate champion. Cobra Kai shows that Daniel is already a minor celebrity due to his tournament win, therefore, it is plausible that a writer spotted the story and adapted it.
Plus, Cobra Kai was released in 2018 which would mean The Karate Kid reboot had been out in their universe for 8 years. That is plenty of time for the hype of The Karate Kid to die down and for people to have forgotten about its link to Daniel. It may have added to his fame at the time, but in a small-town people get bored quickly and Daniel has no intention to build fame for himself anymore. The Karate Kid reboot can easily slot into the Cobra Kai universe without any issues, and the theory ends up being a sweet nod to the reboot’s success.
