“They’re Inviting Trouble”: OG Karate Kid Actor Confirms They Won’t Be Back For Legends Ahead Of Final Cobra Kai Episodes
As the Netflix show gears up to close out one era of the franchise, a Cobra Kai star confirms he won’t be back for Karate Kid: Legends. The upcoming movie serves as the first theatrical installment in the eponymous series since the 2010 reboot and will bring together that movie’s Jackie Chan as Mr. Han with Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso. While story details remain under wraps, Macchio did recently confirm that Karate Kid: Legends’ story will be set after the events of Cobra Kai season 6, the end of the Netflix sequel show.
During a recent interview with Kyle Meredith to discuss Cobra Kai season 6 part 2, Martin Kove was asked about the chances of his return for the upcoming Karate Kid: Legends, reprising the role of John Kreese. Kreese is the co-founder of the Cobra Kai dojo who has been a longtime villain of the franchise, appearing in the first three movies and all six seasons of the Netflix show.
The original franchise star confirmed he will not be appearing in the upcoming movie, noting that he and many of his longtime co-stars were not “invited to come and play” in the sequel, while also humorously saying his not being included means the creative team are “inviting trouble”. Check out what Kove shared in the quotes and video below:
Well, that was a choice. Robert Kamen didn’t write the script, he wrote all three and wrote brilliance. He helped the writers of Cobra Kai, gave them his blessing. He assisted them, and they’re all good friends, John, Josh, Hayden and Robert Kamen. And he wrote a musical, I went to see it in St. Louis, the premiere of Karate Kid: The Musical, and it was beautiful, and it just got a delay in release because of this movie coming out in May, the one that Ralph’s doing. Very few of us were privy to anything of what this movie’s even about. I remember having a wonderful time with my kids and Will Smith on his movie, and he was very concerned about was he loyal to us from our experience of the three films.
And he was, but it was still odd to see “No mercy” being said in Japanese as a subtitle. It was a fish-out-of-water, but it took place in Japan, so it didn’t have the American values. And it made money, it did well, it was a decent movie. On this picture, I don’t know. It’s kept under wraps pretty well. I haven’t talked to Ralph about it; I will… Ralph went off for about 10 days, did it, and that was it. None of us were invited to come and play. When they don’t invite me, it’s okay, because I know why: They’re inviting trouble.
What This Means For Karate Kid: Legends
Though he’s been a major staple character of the franchise going all the way back to its inception, Kove’s absence in Karate Kid: Legends’ cast ultimately makes sense. As Cobra Kai has established across its six-season run, Sensei Kreese’s arc is pretty much exclusively tied to William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence and Thomas Ian Griffith’s Terry Silver, with only a modicum of a grudge still held out for Macchio’s LaRusso. As such, if reports of LaRusso going back to the East Coast in the movie prove true, Kreese’s appearance wouldn’t be necessary.
The other major reason why Kove’s exclusion from Karate Kid: Legends would work is that Cobra Kai season 6 looks to be aiming to wrap up his and many other characters’ stories for the final season. Johnny is finally on the verge of building a proper family and coming full-circle in the tournament scene, and Daniel is finally about ready to leave karate behind for good. Kreese and Silver, on the other hand, are on the verge of killing each other after part 2’s reveal that the latter made it out of prison.
Could John Kreese (And Others) Return Outside Of Karate Kid: Legends?
As Kove’s comments highlight, there are not many legacy characters who are set to return in Karate Kid: Legends. In fact, beyond the two marquee stars, there have been no cameos or supporting appearances set for people from the Cobra Kai cast, potentially allowing the movie to build out its own standalone branch of the franchise if it becomes a success. However, this does not mean that the show’s cast members will necessarily be left behind.
Other existing cast members have expressed interest in continuing to be a part of the Cobra Kai universe. In addition to Kove, this includes Jacob Bertrand, who plays Eli “Hawk” Moskowitz. This is entirely possible because, during Screen Rant’s recent set visit, the show’s creators have revealed that they would love to continue creating further projects in the franchise, with Jon Hurwitz saying that “we have multiple ideas of the things that we would like to do.” While no further projects have been greenlit yet, a Netflix spinoff could continue the West Coast story and include many other returning characters.
Our Take On Kove’s Absence From Karate Kid: Legends
While Kove has made it clear in no uncertain terms he won’t appear in the movie for new scenes, that doesn’t necessarily mean Kreese can’t appear in Karate Kid: Legends in some capacity. Cobra Kai has frequently utilized archival footage and flashbacks to connect the show to the prior movies and expand the Miyagi-verse, and as such, Kreese could be seen with such should Daniel reflect on his past in an effort to teach Ben Wang’s new protagonist, Li Fong, about the dangerous side of karate.
