Not even karate itself is immune to the brute force of the Hollywood legacy sequel machine, and today’s newly released first trailer for Karate Kid: Legends from Sony is the proof. The film, out in theaters on May 30, 2025, is bringing together characters from various generations of the series, including the recently concluded Cobra Kai on Netflix. Ralph Macchio represents both our link to the 1984 original, and the teachings of Pat Morita’s legendary Mr. Miyagi, and our most recent dip into the same narrative via Cobra Kai. Jackie Chan, meanwhile, links the film to the 2010, Jaden Smith-starring version of The Karate Kid, a narrative that was originally meant to be a loose remake of the original with Chan stepping into the Miyagi-like role in a story that was set in China. But as legacy sequels are so prone to do, the new 2025 film will retcon it all to bring all of the characters into the same universe. Macchio, appearing in the trailer as Daniel LaRusso, even says the following, like he’s a Hollywood producer: “Okay, let’s make a karate kid.”
Our official synopsis is as follows:
Karate Kid: Legends unites the iconic martial arts masters of one of the most beloved film franchises of all time to tell a completely new story full of action and heart. When kung fu prodigy Li Fong (Ben Wang) relocates to New York City with his mother to attend a prestigious new school, he finds solace in a new friendship with a classmate and her father. But his newfound peace is short-lived after he attracts unwanted attention from a formidable local karate champion. Driven by a desire to defend himself, Li embarks on a journey to enter the ultimate karate competition. Guided by the wisdom of his kung fu teacher, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), and the legendary Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), Li merges their unique styles to prepare for an epic martial arts showdown.
The trailer below is certainly filled with plenty of martial arts action, mostly being performed by new star Ben Wang, continuing the storied tradition of being far too old to reasonably portray a high school student–Wang was 24 when Legends was filmed last year. In a nice little Easter egg for fans of the genre, his mother seems to be played by Ming Na Wen, famously the voice of Disney’s Mulan and long-time staple of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. In all honesty, the footage of Karate Kid: Legends below looks perfectly charming, and it will no doubt be a treat to see the interactions between Macchio and Jackie Chan, along with a male Asian protagonist in an American family film, something that remains a statistical rarity. Legends kicks its way into theaters on May 30, 2025. Check out the first trailer below.
