Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio team up for The Karate Kid casting, confirming fan theories

The description of the character is that "he's smart, scrappy, and a skilled martial artist". This likely means the role is intended for a male actor, though the post does not clearly mention that female actors cannot try to audition. On that note, the Karate Kid casting post also has a disclaimer regarding "diverse and inclusive casting".

The post also mentions that no previous acting experience is required and that the next Karate Kid hopeful will need to be available for the production from March to June 2024.

The biggest takeaway (yes, even bigger than the audition announcement) is the fact that this confirms both the Ralph Macchio films and the Jackie Chan movie from 2010 are in the same universe. Fans have speculated whether or not this was the case, but this new teaser pretty much confirms the theory.

Late in 2022, it was confirmed Sony Pictures Entertainment was delaying films (including the live action Spider-Verse projects like Madame Web and Kraven the Hunter) to rush out a new Karate Kid film. As Season 6 of Cobra Kai had already been in development, fans and insiders speculated the new film would follow the events of that production. However, the Cobra Kai crew confirmed they would not be directly involved.

What left fans scratching their heads after this teaser is the question of where this new film falls in the Karate Kid universe's timeline. Does it happen before the events of Cobra Kai or after? Since Cobra Kai still has one more season on Netflix to be released in 2024, would it serve as the bridge between the show and the new film? Will Jackie Chan appear in Cobra Kai Season 6? Will Daniel LaRusso and Mr. Han be joining forces or will they be rivals?

This feels like one of those dream crossovers that fandoms debate about. But this is one of the few that actually turned out to be real. Are you looking forward to seeing the next Karate Kid film?

The next Karate Kid film is currently slated for release on December 13, 2024.