OG Karate Kid Actor Confirms They Won’t Be Back For Legends Ahead Of Final Cobra Kai Episodes

Warning: SPOILERS lie ahead for Cobra Kai season 6 part 2!

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. 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 “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

Cobra Kai Will Likely Wrap Up Kreese’s Story

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 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 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.

Our Take On Kove’s Absence From Karate Kid: Legends

There Are Still Ways His Presence Could Be Felt

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.

Cobra Kai season 6 part 3 is set to premiere on Netflix on February 13.

Source: Kyle Meredith

Karate Kid: Legends (2025) is a sequel to Cobra Kai and The Karate Kid directed by Jonathan Entwistle. The film sees Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan reprising their roles, continuing the legacy of martial arts mentorship and rivalry in a new era of challenges and apprentices.

Director

Jonathan Entwistle

Release Date

May 30, 2025

Studio(s)

Columbia Pictures , Jerry Weintraub Productions , Overbrook Entertainment , Sony Pictures Entertainment

Distributor(s)

Sony Pictures Entertainment

Writers

Robert Mark Kamen , Christopher Murphey , Rob Lieber

Cast

Ralph Macchio , Jackie Chan , Ben Wang , Ming-Na Wen , Joshua Jackson , Sadie Stanley , Aramis Knight , Wyatt Oleff

Character(s)

Daniel LaRusso , Mr. Han , Li Fong

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