Is the Karate Kid Universe About to Hit Reset After Cobra Kai?
Nearly 40 years after his first crane kick, Ralph Macchio says Karate Kid is ready for a new round. With Cobra Kai wrapped, he tells People it’s time to honor Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence while making room for the next generation.
After 40 years of crane kicks and grudge matches, Ralph Macchio is ready to sweep the leg on the status quo. With Cobra Kai wrapped and a new big-screen Karate Kid on the way, he says the franchise should take a breath, regroup, and come back smarter.
Macchio: time for a reset (not a funeral)
In a new chat with PEOPLE, Macchio basically says the brand can run forever, but not by piling everything on top of everything. Between the show and the new Jackie Chan movie arriving in the same era, his take is that the dojo needs a clean start. The fan base never left, he points out, but if you are going to keep this going, you have to do it in a way that feels honest to the characters and not like a nostalgia vending machine. That gets harder the longer you stretch the story.
'Cobra Kai never dies. Karate Kid lives forever.'
Before anyone panics: a reset does not mean the universe vanishes. The brand currently spans the 1984 original, Netflix's Cobra Kai, and the 2025 feature Karate Kid: Legends. Macchio says he is talking with the Cobra Kai creators and other cast, everyone is open to ideas, but nothing is imminent. No secret project waiting in the wings. Maybe a couple of smaller things first. The key is finding the right launch.
What that reset should look like
The lesson from Cobra Kai is pretty clear: it ended because the story reached its endpoint, not because Netflix pulled the plug. That is the right move for a franchise with this much history. If there are spinoffs or a new phase, they do not have to be locked into the exact continuity rules that Cobra Kai used, as long as the heart of Miyagi-Do (discipline, respect, teaching through life) stays intact. Fresh and bold over rinse-and-repeat.
Farewell to Helen Siff
On a sad note, Helen Siff, a veteran character actor who popped up as a cashier in the original The Karate Kid, died on December 18, 2025 at 88 due to complications from surgery following a long illness, per The Hollywood Reporter. Siff worked steadily across TV, film, and the stage, including Grandma Sylvia's Funeral and Adam Sandler's You Don't Mess With the Zohan. Her family remembered her not just for the work, but for the professionalism and kindness she brought to every set.
Her TV credits ran the gamut: Modern Family, Scrubs, S.W.A.T., Mom, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Will & Grace, among others. A small role in a classic can echo for decades, and hers did.
Quick refresher on where this all started
- Origin: The Karate Kid (1984), written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen.
- Core premise: Young students learn martial arts (mostly karate) from wise mentors, using discipline and respect to face bullies, rivals, and personal challenges.
- Main continuity (the Miyagi-verse): The Karate Kid (1984), Part II (1986), Part III (1989), The Next Karate Kid (1994), the sequel series Cobra Kai (2018–2025), and the film Karate Kid: Legends (2025).
- Key recurring characters: Daniel LaRusso, Mr. Miyagi, Johnny Lawrence, John Kreese, plus a new generation introduced in Cobra Kai.
So, can this thing run forever?
Probably, if they actually hit reset and protect what makes these characters work. Keep the integrity, keep it organic, and do not lean on nostalgia to do the heavy lifting. That is the only way you avoid burning out a fan base that has stuck around since 1984.
The original The Karate Kid and the Cobra Kai series are streaming on Netflix. What do you want from a reset? Hit the comments and pitch the dojo of your dreams.