New Karate Kid movie is about to repeat a mistake made by 38-year-old Johnny Lawrence that Cobra Kai had already corrected

The new Karate Kid the film is ready to begin a new chapter in the overarching franchise, but it already appears to be repeating a Johnny Lawrence mistake that Cobra Kai fixed. Many conflicting details have been revealed about Karate Kid: Legends' timeline in the franchise, raising many questions about whether this will have anything to do with Cobra Kaidevelopments in history. What is known is that Ralph Macchio will reprise his role as Daniel LaRusso in the film and will star alongside Jackie Chan, who will play his original character, Mr. LaRusso. Karate Kid film.

Ben Wang, from Chang can dunk and American born Chinese fame, was also cast to play the film's lead role. Even though the film's story details are still under wraps, it's hard not to anticipate its release because it features a highly anticipated collaboration between Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan. However, as exciting as it may seem, the film is returning to a Karate Kid II confuse this Cobra Kai corrected almost six years ago.

Karate Kid: Legends without Johnny would repeat a mistake from Karate Kid Part II

Karate Kid Part II made the mistake of getting rid of Johnny Lawrence

Johnny Lawrence appears only briefly in Karate Kid Part IIopening moments, where the plot of the first film gets an epilogue. It shows how Mr. Miyagi humiliates Kreese in front of his students, encouraging Johnny Lawrence and his classmates to abandon their sensei for good. However, beyond that, the film didn't add any depth to Lawrence's character, although there was room for new developments in its overarching narrative. Looking back, it's hard not to see how this was a mistake.

Given as Karate Kid Part II takes place primarily in Okinawa after its opening fight sequence, the film may not have been able to accommodate Johnny Lawrence into its story. However, this could have paved the way for his return in the next installment of the series. Karate Kid Part III I had the perfect opportunity to continue the saga and build its narrative around Johnny and Daniel's rivalry. However, despite establishing Johnny Lawrence as one of the most compelling characters in Karate Kid franchise, the original film series got rid of him a little too soon.

Even from a narrative point of view, this made little sense. According to Miyagi verse lore, Johnny Lawrence won the All-Valley tournament twice in a row (in 1982 and 1983) before Daniel broke his streak in 1984. It doesn't make sense that despite having more wins than Daniel, Johnny Lawrence suddenly became irrelevant and never tried to wrestle at All-Valley again. In the 1985 tournament, when Daniel faced Mike Barnes in the All-Valley, it would make sense for Johnny Lawrence to be one of the competitors.

The Karate Kid sequels not bringing Johnny back was a mistake that Cobra Kai corrected

Cobra Kai proved the franchise needed Johnny Lawrence

While the original Karate Kid the films abandoned Johnny and eventually struggled to keep viewers invested in their stories, Cobra Kai understood that Johnny Lawrence was as important to the success of the franchise as Daniel LaRusso. Therefore, instead of following the same path as Karate Kid II and its accompaniments, Cobra Kai it once again featured the intense rivalry between Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso. It showed how, although decades have passed since Johnny and Daniel's fight at All-Valley, Johnny has not emerged from the shadow of his defeat.

This creative decision did wonders for the franchise because it not only appealed to audiences who grew up watching the first Karate Kid film, but it also gave new viewers a glimpse into what made the original film such a hit. With its resounding success on Netflix, Cobra Kai proved that the franchise needed Johnny as much as it needed Daniel. Unfortunately, instead of learning from Cobra Kaithe new Karate Kid the film is apparently doing exactly what led to the original Karate Kid fall of the film series.

Why William Zabka's Johnny Isn't In Karate Kid: Legends (As Far As We Know)

The crossover between the film's characters leaves no room for the return of Johnny Lawrence

If Karate Kid: Legends it was another TV show like Cobra Kaiprobably would have had enough time to add more originals Karate Kid characters into the mix. However, as it is a film with a limited duration, it makes no sense to feature Daniel Larusso, Jackie Chan and Johnny Lawrence. The reason is that if this causes all three characters to share the screen, it could risk overcrowding the story and diluting the weight of all the main characters' beats. Some might argue that it should have had Johnny Lawrence as one of its protagonists instead of Daniel LaRusso.

However, since Daniel LaRusso has always been the OG Karate KidIt would have been strange if a film titled Karate Kid: Legends didn't have him as one of its main characters. Jackie Chan's Han is also a necessary addition to the film roster because it needs to do something to stand out from the rest of the franchise. By featuring an unlikely and highly anticipated crossover between LaRusso and Han, Karate Kid: Legends promises to deliver something different and not continue Cobra Kaifamily formula.

Johnny's ending in Cobra Kai could justify his absence from Karate Kid: Legends

Cobra Kai Could Bring Complete Closure to Johnny Lawrence's Arc

Since Cobra Kai Season 6, part 2 features some unpredictable story developments in its final moments, one cannot predict how the Netflix series will end. However, taking into account the evolution Cobra Kai parts 1 and 2 of season 6, it seems likely that the Johnny Lawrence narrative will reach a natural conclusion in Part 3. Although William Zabka's character is far from redeemed, he has changed significantly over the course of six seasons. From a self-centered alcoholic, he has evolved into a loving family man who understands the importance of balance.

With a newborn son, Johnny Lawrence will also have to take on his responsibilities as a father after returning home from Sekai Taikai. Although he still seems to struggle professionally and finds it difficult to hold down a job, he is on the right path to flipping his script and finding peace after living with remorse and hatred for decades. If Cobra Kai season 6 ends Johnny's journey on a high note, where he is content with a stable and fulfilling family life, the franchise may not have much to add to its overarching narrative. This would justify its absence from the new Karate Kid film.