2025 has been a huge moment for the Karate Kid franchise. After Cobra Kai revitalized the IP through six seasons of popularity on Netflix, Sony Pictures elected to bring the property back where it all began: the big screen. Karate Kid: Legends marked the first theatrical release in the series in 15 years.
The movie served as a chance to bridge the franchise’s 40-plus-year history together. Ralph Macchio returned as Daniel LaRusso after a trilogy of films and a major role in Cobra Kai. But, the main story of Karate Kid: Legends revolves around a new, young lead — Li Fong (Ben Wang) — and his sensei, Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) from 2010’s reboot.
While Karate Kid: Legends launched in theaters this summer on May 30, it has not been available to watch on streaming. That’s all changed, and its platform is perfect for Cobra Kai‘s fans.
Karate Kid: Legends Is Streaming On Netflix 7 Months After Cobra Kai’s Finale
Sony has officially released Karate Kid: Legends on Netflix as of today, September 27. This marks the movie’s streaming debut, as Sony has had a deal with the streaming giant to have all its theatrical releases go to Netflix for the first run on a subscription service.
The arrival of Karate Kid: Legends on Netflix comes after a disappointing performance in theaters. Critics were quite mixed on it, resulting in a 57% Rotten Tomatoes score, and that brought interest down. The movie only made $116 million at the box office worldwide, with only $52 million coming domestically. That’s substantially less than the original two Macchio films or Chan’s 2010 relaunch.
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Karate Kid: Legends Reception Breakdown |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Domestic Box Office |
Worldwide Box Office |
Critics RT Score |
Audience RT Score |
Metacritic Score |
IMDb Rating |
Letterboxd Rating |
|
$52,547,391 |
$116,368,735 |
57% |
90% |
51 out of 100 |
6.3 out of 10 |
2.8 out of 5 |
Despite the lack of interest of seeing it on the big screen, audiences who did seek it out enjoyed it. Karate Kid: Legends has a 90% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, validating that most fans had a good time. That should now translate well to the film gaining popularity on Netflix.
This is the streaming service that turned Cobra Kai into a global sensation after all. For better or worse, Netflix is where Karate Kid fans want to watch the franchise. We’re now seven months removed from Cobra Kai‘s ending, so the arrival of a movie that is part sequel to the hit series is worth checking out for anyone missing this world and its characters.
That said, Karate Kid: Legends is not overly connected to Cobra Kai. Original characters Miguel Diaz, Robby Keene, Samantha LaRusso, and Tory Nichols do not return. Daniel is the only person who was on Cobra Kai who has a substantial role in the movie’s plot.
The film is otherwise focused on Li’s story and the teachings of Mr. Han. His connection to Miyagi-do and Daniel adds more layers to the franchise. This also still marks the next chapter in Daniel’s story and the franchise as a whole since Cobra Kai ended. While Netflix could produce spinoffs of the show eventually, Karate Kid: Legends can fill the void for now.
The movie has a strong story, likable new characters, fun connections to the franchise’s past (including one big cameo), and some excellent fight scenes. Now that it is available on Netflix, there’s no reason not to watch it — especially if you loved Cobra Kai.
