New Karate Kid: Legends Image Shows Ralph Macchio And Jackie Chan Working Side By Side

A new image from Karate Kid: Legends brings together two iconic figures from the franchise. The 2025 sequel will unite two major characters from for the first time when the 2010 reboot's Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) seeks the help of longtime original character Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) in order to train his protégé Li Fong (Ben Wang). The upcoming Karate Kid: Legends was directed by Jonathan Entwistle (I Am Not Okay With This) and also stars Joshua Jackson (Dawson's Creek), Sadie Stanley (The Goldbergs), Aramis Knight (Ms. Marvel), Qyatt Oleff (It), and Ming-Na Wen (Mulan, The Book of Boba Fett).

ScreenRant can now share an exclusive first-look image from Karate Kid: Legends. The image shows Daniel sparring with Li Fong while Mr. Han looks on in the background. Their training session is taking place on a rooftop overlooking the city, and it seems to be a cold day as all three are wearing various types of sweatshirts or jackets. See the full-size image below:

The Movie's Core Cast Is A First For The Franchise

On top of this image offering further insight into Li Fong's training process, the fact that it gathers the core Karate Kid: Legends cast together in a single frame highlights what an unprecedented event the movie truly is. This isn't simply because of the presence of legacy characters, as the Netflix series Cobra Kai has reunited many iconic stars from the original movies while following the continued stories of Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka).

What makes Legends so special is the fact that the Cobra Kai cast has never featured any characters from the 2010 reboot, which took place in Beijing and followed Mr. Han training 12-year-old Dre Parker (Jaden Smith). The reboot also never received a sequel, even though it grossed $359.1 million against its $40 million budget and earned a Fresh score of 67% on rotten Tomatoes. Thus, this is the first time that Jackie Chan has ever returned to the franchise, as well as the first time the wider franchise has folded the reboot into its universe in a major way.

Sequels Could Bring In Even More Characters

While Karate Kid: Legends is not yet set to feature any other returning characters from Cobra Kai, if it becomes a success, a sequel could be greenlit that allows for more legacy character reprisals. This would cause the entire franchise to truly cohere into one universe, something that seems entirely within the realm of possibility considering the fact that the movie could harness nostalgia for its current crop of legacy characters to become a major hit. This may prove to be the best thing for the franchise, as Cobra Kai is set to end on February 13, 2025.