“We both said no for decades”: Ralph Macchio Refused Karate Kid Reboot for Years That Led to $359M Movie With Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, Returned for Cobra Kai 8 Years Later

The 1984 classic, The Karate Kid has been one of the greatest hits of all time, starring Ralph Macchio as Daniel LaRusso. The movie significantly changed the dynamic of media and entertainment and took in a staggering $90.82M at the domestic box office after being made with an $8M budget. Navigating Asian representation and authentically bringing out the struggles of a teenager, the classic movie has been an all-time fans’ favorite.

However, despite the exponential growth and success of the movie, Ralph Macchio repeatedly refused Karate Kid reboots over the years. Appearing in the initial three parts of The Karate Kid, Macchio refused his appearance in 1994 The Next Karate Kid. Nonetheless, the TV series Cobra Kai eventually won the actor’s heart and thus Macchio returned with a slice of nostalgia.

Ralph Macchio Refused Karate Kid Reboots

Becoming the popular face of the karate kid in the 80s, Ralph Macchio became a household name after his appearance in the 1984 classic movie The Karate Kid. The movie became the biggest hit of that decade and earned $90.82M in the domestic box office. Further, defining the titular st ar, Macchio as “a bonafide piece of pop culture”, the movie instantly tickled nostalgia among fans.

Turning the movie into a million-dollar franchise, Ralph Macchio starred in two other installments, The Karate Kid II (1986) and The Karate Kid III (1989). However, nearly three decades later, Macchio reappeared in the rebooted TV series Cobra Kai (2018). Although it has already become a beloved Netflix series for the new generation to learn about the franchise, Macchio was initially hesitant about his role.

Despite being a $8M rich veteran actor, whose credit majorly goes to the success of the Karate Kid franchise, Ralph Macchio repeatedly refused the opportunities. Appearing for an interview with his co-star William Zabka, Macchio mentioned, “We both said ‘no’ for decades to everybody having what they thought was their brilliant idea”. Thus, the actor refrained from appearing in the two movies, The Next Karate Kid (1994) and The Karate Kid (2010).

Ralph Macchio Finally Appears For Cobra Kai

Evidently, 2018 seemed like the right time for Ralph Macchio. Considering putting the Karate spree back on, the veteran actor was ready with his black belt. Admitting to slow things down following his three consecutive Karate Kid movies, Macchio denied appearing in any of the following movies belonging to the franchise.

Rejecting roles in The Karate Kid (2010), which starred Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, Macchio lost a $359M opportunity. Unwilling to let go of any further opportunities, Ralph Macchio took the help of the television series Cobra Kai to assist his screen comeback. “I guess I was at that place” the actor began explaining his reasons.

“I was probably more okay, things have gotten a little tougher, thinner, leaner. I need to try to shift into a different direction as opposed to okay, let’s go do that again” Macchio stated.

Beginning to figure things out and looking at the brighter picture, Ralph Macchio eventually accepted his comeback with the Netflix series Cobra Kai. All thanks to the creators of the show, who convinced Macchio to make a comeback with the franchise. Detailing his experience of returning to the million-dollar franchise, the actor stated, “It’s really wonderful”.

Although not interested in appearing in the movies, Ralph Macchio brought back the nostalgia of the original Karate Kid with his appearance in Cobra Kai.

Catch up with the events following the 1984 All Valley Karate Tournament, with the series Cobra Kai on Netflix.