Why Cobra Kai’s Ralph Macchio Didn’t Return For The Next Karate Kid

At this point, it feels like when any chapter of “The Karate Kid” franchise gets stirred up, it can’t be without the pelican-kicking pro, Ralph Macchio. The original Karate Kid, Daniel LaRusso, returned alongside his old foe Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) for “Cobra Kai,” and together they helped the show become as successful as the movies, if not more so. But back when the franchise was still a trilogy, what stopped Macchio returning for “The Next Karate Kid,” where he was instead replaced with Hilary Swank? 

Macchio assured Uproxx that it wasn’t a matter of rejecting an offer — he simply never got the call. Thankfully, he had no animosity towards his co-star, Pat Morita, who played the masterful Mr. Miyagi. “I heard they were making the movie. There was a section of time, for no specific reason, where Pat Morita and I were probably not [in] as much contact. It had nothing to do with anything … all I have for Pat Morita is the utmost love and respect.” It was never made clear to Macchio why he wasn’t invited back for “The Next Karate Kid,” though he speculated that it was a result of the franchise changing hands: 

“I know [director] John G. Avildsen didn’t make the movie, I know Robert Mark Kamen did not write the movie. So the original creators weren’t involved […] My assumption was [there was] an idea from the studio to continue on, and they got Pat to sign on with that idea.”

According to Macchio, he had no tension with anyone — either his former co-star Pat Morita, or his replacement Hilary Swank — simply because there didn’t need to be.

It happens from time to time: Studios will squeeze the last dregs from a franchise, with or without the original star. Macchio didn’t mind, but nevertheless, it was understandably strange for the poster boy of the franchise for ten years to see someone else hopping on one leg for a change: 

“It was kind of odd for me. I never really had a conversation with Pat about it afterwards. Again, for no apparent reason. It wasn’t like they came to me and [I] said, ‘Oh no, I’ll never do another one of these.’ None of that happened. I think it was probably a decision by the studio and producer at that point, ‘Hey, let’s take this in this direction, let’s find another way to go.'” 

As for the star that took his place, Macchio says their real-life encounters haven’t led to the two of them squaring off: “I have run into Hilary Swank once or twice and we have had an internal smile about it all.”

The question for a lot of “Cobra Kai” fans, however, is if we’ll ever see Swank and Macchio share the screen together. With a third of the final season left to arrive on Netflix, there’s only hope to go on, as the show’s creators haven’t hinted at any major cameos to come.

Given that just about every notable figure from “The Karate Kid” franchise that has been on from both sides of the mat has made an appearance in “Cobra Kai,” Hilary Swank’s Julie Pierce is one of the biggest characters that has remained absent from its six-season run. Fans have spoken out about her absence, and Macchio himself has admitted that a cameo from Hilary Swank does make sense. 

The “Cobra Kai” creators have heard this speculation, but they’ve kept quiet about whether she’ll actually be dropping in on the Saikai Taikai. Appearance or not, though, we’ll apparently get some kind of mention by the end. Speaking to CBR in November 2024, executive producer Josh Heald responded to questions about Julie’s place in the “Cobra Kai” universe:

“We will eventually say something about whether or not she’s in the series, and how amazing it is, or why she’s not. But we don’t want to spoil anything to come with getting into dancing around anything, because we can’t talk about any legacy characters coming back and what their involvement is until it actually happens, or until we can give you a peek at it.” 

We can only hope that in the future of Miyagi-verse, we find some space for “The Next Karate Kid.” There’s plenty for everyone to wax on and off, after all.