Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Karate Kid: Legends!

Although Karate Kid: Legends was a box office and critical disappointment, I already know what the franchise needs to do next in order to make up for it. The Karate Kid began a modern renaissance in the 2010s with the release of Cobra Kai, the spinoff TV series that concluded with the release of season 6 in 2025. While Karate Kid: Legends was meant to capitalize on the success of Cobra Kai, this didn’t quite work, leading to the film underperforming at the box office. However, if the franchise wants to continue focusing on its legacy, there is a clear path forward.

Karate Kid: Legends had a surprisingly low budget, with the 2025 film costing only $45 million to make. Unfortunately, Karate Kid: Legends has only made $90 million at the box office as of the writing of this article. Since most movies have a break-even point of double their budget thanks to the costs of marketing and distribution, this means that Karate Kid: Legends may have only barely turned a profit, if it made a profit at all. While this may paint a grim future for The Karate Kid franchise’s theatrical releases, all hope isn’t lost.

Karate Kid Needs A Movie With Hilary Swank Next

Bringing Her Character From The Next Karate Kid Back

After the box office failure of Karate Kid: Legends, it is clear that the franchise needs to focus more on hardcore The Karate Kid fans rather than appealing to a general audience. If bringing back characters from the original The Karate Kid and the modern reboot won’t work for general audiences, it is doubtful that another legacy approach will. So, making smaller-scale movies targeted at fans of the movies and Cobra Kai may be the way to keep the franchise going. Luckily, there is one major actor who can help this legacy grow: Hillary Swank.

1994’s The Next Karate Kid was the first The Karate Kid project to release after the original trilogy. The film starred Hillary Swank as Julie Pierce, a girl who meets Mr. Miyagi while he is in Boston for a military reunion. The Next Karate Kid was a box office failure and is considered to be one of the worst The Karate Kid projects by critics. However, it does have its fans, and it has an undeniable place in the history of The Karate Kid universe. So, if the next film wants to bring back another major star, Hillary Swank is the best option.

Karate Kid Has Ignored Hilary Swank’s Julie Pierce For Too Long

The Franchise Needs To Bring Her Back

Although Julie Pierce was the second The Karate Kid protagonist after Daniel LaRusso, she has never been acknowledged since the release of the 1994 film. The franchise has completely ignored her, and that needs to change. The issue is that The Next Karate Kid was poorly received, and many The Karate Kid fans probably haven’t seen it.

Luckily, bringing Hillary Swank back in a future The Karate Kid sequel could fix this. Julie Pierce could be redeemed in a legacy sequel, fixing the issues with The Next Karate Kid. Putting her alongside Daniel LaRusso and other legacy characters could reinforce her importance, meaning that she will no longer be ignored. On top of that, the lack of popularity that exists around The Next Karate Kid means that a future movie could do almost anything it wants with the character of Julie Pierce.

Restrictions On Karate Kid Movies May Increase The Likelihood Of Hilary Swank’s Return

Cobra Kai Characters Are Stuck On Netflix

Interestingly, Karate Kid: Legends could not use any of the original Cobra Kai characters because they are owned by Netflix, not Columbia Pictures. So, while Johnny Lawrence could appear in the film, the majority of the Cobra Kai cast had to stay behind. Bringing back characters from the TV show would be the obvious next step for another movie, but since that can’t happen, the pool of returning characters is limited. This increases the likelihood of Julie Pierce returning, as she is one of the few big-name characters who didn’t appear in Karate Kid: Legends.