Jaden Smith’s The Karate Kid remake from 2010 isn’t canon in Cobra Kai. However, there is still a connection to the Miyagiverse, which could see the young actor return at some point, though not in a way that most fans are thinking of. The 2010 remake was a hit at the box office, thanks to the performances of Smith and Jackie Chan, along with the strength of the franchise as a whole. For some, that’s the version of the story that they grew up with, which has led to questions as to whether or not Jaden Smith or Jackie Chan will show up on Cobra Kai.
Cobra Kai creators Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald recently sat down for a lengthy interview about the hit series, which is now streaming on Netflix. The interviewer said he had read that Jaden Smith movie is a different universe. He then asked if there was any thoughts about Dre Parker and Mr. Han appearing on a future season of Cobra Kai. Hurwitz had this to say about Smith or Jackie Chan making appearances.
“Yes, we’ve ruled that out completely. Jackie Chan is mentioned in season 1 of the show as a human, so I think in our world, Jackie Chan is an actor and a performer. If the characters on our show have seen a movie called The Karate Kid, they’ve seen that one.”
As Jon Hurwitz says, if the characters in Cobra Kai have seen The Karate Kid, it’s the Karate Kid reboot with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith, which means that they technically exist within the Miyagiverse, though not as real-life characters. With Will Smith serving as an executive producer on Cobra Kai, many assumed that his son would have already made a cameo, but that has yet to be the case. Maybe the showrunners are waiting for the right meta moment.
While the Cobra Kai creators have ruled out a traditional cameo, Jaden Smith could get a mention in the series, much like Jackie Chan did in season 1. As for whether or not the showrunners decide to do this, that is anybody’s guess at the moment, but there are fans from a certain age group that might appreciate the acknowledgement of the 2010 remake. The creators have revealed they have plenty of story material to keep going, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
Cobra Kai is continuing to keep fans hooked and wanting more. Season 3 just premiered on Netflix at the beginning of the year, and most fans binged all of the episodes over one weekend. Season 4 was officially announced back in October, and according to Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg, and Josh Heald, the story has already been written. Will we finally see Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence truly team up to get rid of John Kreese once and for all? The interview with the Cobra Kai showrunners was originally conducted by Slash Film.