Back in 1984, The Karate Kid chronicled Daniel LaRusso’s struggle against the Cobra Kai dojo before his epic face off against Johnny Lawrence in the finals of All-Valley Karate Tournament. Later this year, YouTube Red is revisiting the franchise later this year with Cobra Kai, a new original series that features William Zabka reprising his role as Johnny. The first teaser trailer for Cobra Kai has arrived, and it hints at the push back that Johnny receives when he reopens the dojo years after it closed in disgrace. Ralph Macchio is also back as Daniel, and his rivalry with Johnny is far from over.
During The Karate Kid’s climax, Johnny clearly didn’t want to follow his sensei’s command to sweep Daniel’s injured leg. Johnny knew it was wrong, but he did it anyway. Even after his sensei attacked him at the beginning of The Karate Kid Part II, Johnny still hasn’t learned his lesson. In the teaser, Johnny has once again embraced the Cobra Kai philosophy that “mercy is for the weak.”
The teaser also doesn’t let on that Cobra Kai is more of a comedy than the films that preceded it, or the fact that Johnny and Daniel have essentially swapped places in life. Now, Daniel’s a successful businessman and Johnny’s a bit of a loser who’s living in the past instead of moving on. This isn’t the first time that Zabka and Macchio have crossed paths since The Karate Kid. Zebka was featured in No More Kings’ music video for “Sweep the Leg,” which parodied the first film and featured Macchio in a cameo appearance as well.
Are you looking forward to seeing Johnny and Daniel resume their rivalry? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!
Image: YouTube Red
