The New Karate Kid, Ben Wang, Does An Epic Side Kick In This Exclusive Karate Kid: Legends Image

This article is part of ScreenRant‘s Exclusive 2025 Summer Movie Preview. Keep an eye out for the full feature next week!

A new image from Karate Kid: Legends showcases an intense moment during the training of Li Fong (Ben Wang). The upcoming crossover sequel features Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio), the original lead character of the long-running martial arts franchise, teaming up with Mr. Han (Jackie Chan), the mentor from the 2010 reboot, to help a bullied kid become a champion. The upcoming Karate Kid: Legends, which was directed by Jonathan Entwistle and comes just three and a half months after the end of the Netflix sequel series Cobra Kai, is the sixth theatrical installment in the franchise.

ScreenRant can now share an exclusive first-look image from Karate Kid: Legends ahead of the movie’s theatrical premiere on May 30. The image shows Li Fong delivering a side kick in an alley with an intense look on his face. The idenтιтy of his ᴀssailant is unclear, because the character is throwing a punch that is blocking the majority of their face. However, it does not seem to be either of his mentors, so it could potentially be a bully. It could also be a mugger or someone similar, hinting at a vigilante justice angle to the movie.


Ben Wang kicking with an intense look on his face in Karate Kid: Legends
PH๏τo credit: Jonathan Wenk

What This Means For Karate Kid: Legends

Li Fong Is Front And Center In The Movie

So far, early images and trailers for the movie have not revealed much of the Karate Kid: Legends cast beyond Ralph Macchio, Jackie Chan, and Ben Wang. However, this new images emphasizes the fact that, even though two icons of the franchise have united in the new movie, the тιтular karate kid is still going to be as important to the narrative as the character has in previous installments, which have so far featured Macchio, Hilary Swank, and Jaden Smith as various “karate kids.”

Karate Kid: Legends also stars Joshua Jackson, Ming-Na Wen, Sadie Stanley, Wyatt Oleff, and Aramis Knight.

Another element revealed in the Karate Kid: Legends trailer that is being emphasized in the new image is the fact that the setting has been transplanted to the East Coast. Although Cobra Kai, which featured Daniel LaRusso as part of the main cast of characters for all six seasons, took place in The Valley, he will be called upon to bring his expertise to the opposite coast in the new movie. Considering the fact that Li Fong seems to be in genuine danger in this new image, it makes sense why LaRusso’s presence would be necessary.

Our Take On The Karate Kid: Legends Image

A New Action Hero Is Rising


Ben Wang as Li Fong kicking above his head in Karate Kid: Legends
Image via Entertainment Weekly

This image showcases the way that Karate Kid: Legends is going to highlight the martial arts skills of Ben Wang, who in real life has trained in a variety of disciplines, including taekwondo, kenpo, and kumdo, in addition to karate and kung fu, which will be centered in the new movie. By continuing to showcase these skills, which he also displayed as the lead of the Disney+ series American Born Chinese, the movie cements Wang as an action hero for a new generation.

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