Minor spoilers for Karate Kid: Legends lie ahead, so read on accordingly.
The Karate Kid film series officially expands with a sixth installment that’s subtitled Legends. Yet the Jonathan Entwistle-helmed 2025 movie release also melds the Miyagi-verse continuity with that of the 2010 film. As a result, Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso returns as does Jackie Chan’s Mr. Han to mentor a new karate student, Li Fong (Ben Wang). I had the opportunity to see the legacy sequel myself and, as a fan of the franchise, I’m not too high on it. However, there’s one specific detail that’s really bugging me.
There’s One Thing Aspect Of Mr. Han’s Role That I Just Can’t Get Over
The Karate Kid (which still receives love), he was celebrating with young Parker (Jaden Smith), as the latter emerged victorious at a kung fu tournament. The opening of Legends makes it clear that a lot has changed for Han since his last appearance. From the jump, it’s established that Han is now a revered shifu who oversees multiple schools in Beijing. The character’s status doesn’t bug me on its own, but it’s the lack of clarity regarding how he got there that’s annoying.
ropes Han into the Miyagi-verse’s mythology.
doing his own stunts even in his 70s.
I would imagine, however, that such a reprisal would depend on Legends’ performance at the box office. During its opening weekend, the film amassed a global cume of $47 million against a production budget of $45 million. That’s respectable and, should it trend in the right direction, it could finish its theatrical run with a solid haul.
Sony seems to be all in on this storied martial arts franchise, as potential spinoffs for the hit offshoot TV series, Cobra Kai (which is streamable with a Netflix subscription) are reportedly being considered. We can only speculate as to whether that good fortune from the small-screen side of the franchise will extend to the cinema. For now, fans can see Karate Kid: Legends in theaters and, if they feel like I do, they can hope that any potential sequel might provide clarity on Mr. Han’s personal journey.