The Karate Kid franchise has had a real resurgence thanks to Cobra Kai, so it was only a matter of time before it returned to the silver screen. We will soon have Karate Kid, a.k.a. Karate Kid 6, in the franchise, and while we don’t know many details about the movie so far, it could be the connective tissue that ties the entire franchise together. It all starts with Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan teaming up, but they aren’t the only ones featured in this new chapter.
Below, we’ll get into the who’s who of actors involved in Karate Kid, as well as all we know so far about their roles in the movie. Keep in mind that the movie is still in the early stages, but as more details roll out, we will provide updates on what we know about the roles.
Jackie Chan
The Karate Kid tried to reboot the franchise with Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith in 2010, and now we know one of them is back to give it another go. Perhaps what’s more important is we have confirmation that the reboot will actually tie into the universe of the original films considering that Ralph Macchio will reprise his role as Daniel LaRusso. Chan will reprise his role as Mr. Han, who played a vital role in the instruction of his pupil Dre Parker.
Having a legendary kung fu actor like Chan on board will undoubtedly elevate this movie from an action perspective, which makes his return all the more exciting. Here’s hoping the 70-year-old actor can still wow theatergoers with his moves, though I shouldn’t even question that.
Ralph Macchio
The Karate Kid franchise tried to do a couple of movies without Ralph Macchio, but that’s not happening this time around. The original star of the franchise will return in the upcoming movie, but his presence does add some questions regarding how it will proceed.
Fans have seen Macchio as Daniel LaRusso in Cobra Kai, but the co-creators knew little about this project. Is it possible the movie is retconning the series’ existence? That would be a bold decision considering its popularity largely led to this movie, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens. Perhaps we’ll even get some more clues on how connected it is in the final season of Cobra Kai.
Ben Wang
Veteran actors with ties to a franchise are nice and all, but The Karate Kid needs, well, a “kid” to live up to the premise of the franchise. 24-year-old Ben Wang, who you can see in American Born Chinese with a Disney+ subscription, will step into the role as the next heir to The Karate Kid name.
Wang was chosen after a public call was made looking for an actor who was up for the physical work required, so it’ll be cool to see what he can do. Though he’s had some solid roles, Wang is still a relative newcomer in Hollywood, so a movie like this could really springboard his career to the next level.
Joshua Jackson
In what feels like a big move, actor Joshua Jackson returns to the big screen for his first feature movie in a decade. With that said, there are plenty of projects Jackson projects has done since that makes his appearance in Karate Kid so exciting. We can only speculate on what his role in the movie could be, though I think he does kind of have a similar look to vicious Karate Kid villain John Kreese. Could he be a long-lost son of the iconic baddie?
Sadie Stanley
Sadie Stanley, who readers may know from the two-season series Cruel Summer, will join Karate Kid in a role we have some details on. Stanley will join the movie to play the love interest of actor Ben Wang’s character, which is a big role in the franchise. One question worth asking is if Stanley’s character will be more of an Ali Mills or maybe a more modern love interest capable of kicking ass, like Cobra Kai‘s Sam LaRusso. I’m sure we’ll get a better idea as the film draws closer and we see some footage of these characters in action.
Ming-Na Wen
Ming-Na Wen’s casting in this movie need not be questioned, especially for those who saw her in The Mandalorian and The Book Of Boba Fett. I would wager she’ll be putting some of those skills on display in the upcoming Karate Kid movie, but there are no concrete details at this time regarding her character or what she’ll be doing. Personally, I’m hoping to see her put some of her martial arts skills on display, hopefully on the bad guys. If she’s one of the bad guys, this Karate Kid return may be over before it ever begins.
Aramis Knight
Ms. Marvel and Into The Badlands actor Aramis Knight is moving on to the Karate Kid movie, though we don’t know about what he’ll be doing in it. This is another actor coming into this project who has done a lot of martial arts work in roles they’ve played, so the assumption is he’ll be factored into the story either in alliance with or potentially pitted against Ben Wang’s character. Whatever the case may be, this is a casting of an actor audiences should be very excited about.
Wyatt Oleff
Wyatt Oleff, who has been featured in the Guardians of the Galaxy and the IT franchises, is also getting in on the Karate Kid fun. Oleff is also in the series I Am Not Okay With This, which is notable because it’s created by the directorhelming Karate Kid, Jonathan Entwistle. One can only imagine Entwistle could’ve had a hand in this casting, so it’ll be interesting to see what role Oleff is playing.
Karate Kid is on its way to theaters and is slated to arrive in theaters on December 13th, 2024. CinemaBlend will keep an eye out for more details on the movie as we get closer to the release date and any other exciting names that might get added to the cast as well.
