Ralph Macchio revealed to CBR that he had wanted to revisit elements of The Karate Kid Part II for years, bringing it to the fore in the early development of Cobra Kai.
Cobra Kai Season 3 will see Daniel LaRusso return to Okinawa in a desperate effort to save his family’s business. Series star Ralph Macchio wanted to revisit the characters and plot points of 1986 The Karate Kid II for decades, even before development in Cobra Kai began.
Macchio revealed to CBR that during the initial meetings with Cobra Kai creators Hayden Schlossberg, Josh Heald and Jon Hurwitz, he brought his vision to Daniel to reevaluate the film’s outstanding plots. He also wanted to be reunited with former love interest Kumiko.
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“I think it was always in that initial DNA. They heard from me, probably on the first or second day that we talked,” Macchio told CBR. “I always felt like I wanted to go back, I wanted to explore what happened to Daniel and Kumiko because I always felt that if I ever went back to this good – that is for years, decades on end – it is a story that just kind of fell through. The Karate Kid III it was something else. So it never really made sense to me why Miyagi wouldn’t have returned to Yukie and why Daniel and Kumiko might not have returned [a chance]. You were 30, so I said, ‘Let’s fill those gaps!’ “
With the confirmation of season 3 to reunite Daniel with Kumiko and his former rival Chozen, the fan favorite characters were both reintroduced into the wider Karate Kid universe. For Macchio, the return of the two characters leaves open the possibility of both playing a bigger role in the future of the franchise. He also implied that his inclusion in the program and his future in the Cobra Kai is highly dependent on how fans react to your return.
“Now, it has to fit the format of what Cobra Kai series is and I think what is good about what happens in season 3 with Chozen and Kumiko is that there is always room to see more of them in some way, “Macchio continued.” And we’ll see how the fans react, I think, you know, it will be dictated by that too. “
Cobra Kai William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Mary Mouser, Tanner Buchanan, Jacob Bertrand, Gianni Decenzo, Peyton List and Martin Kove. The third season comes to Netflix on January 1st.
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