The success of Cobra Kai is proof that audiences are still interested in The Karate Kid story, and invested in the characters introduced in the original movies. While anyone with a Netflix subscription can now catch up on what's going on with Daniel LaRusso and most of his past adversaries in the present day, there's one key character the Netflix series won't feature for new adventures. Mr. Miyagi can't appear in new scenes of Cobra Kai, but could a prequel series happen? CinemaBlend asked actor Ralph Macchio about just that, and he had some thoughts.
I had a chance to speak to Ralph Macchio about the release of his latest book, Waxing On: The Karate Kid And Me, where he speaks at length about his friendship with Mr. Miyagi actor, Pat Morita. As such, I asked him about the idea of a prequel that followed Mr. Miyagi, and if that was something he'd like to see made should Cobra Kai lead to spinoffs:
I would love to [see that]. What is the young Miyagi story? What was that teenager and that man in his twenties who went to World War II and lost his wife and child–which is all part of the original Karate Kid film. What led that guy in the little pieces of history we learned from him in Karate Kid Part Two in Okinawa? What led this guy to be a maintenance man in a small apartment building in Reseda? [It’s] kind of a mirror of what Johnny Lawrence started out with in the first season of Cobra Kai. It’s all ripe to be there. Whatever it is I would love to see it.
Ralph Macchio made an interesting connection there between Johnny Lawrence and Mr. Miyagi that should be the pitch for this series. Mr. Miyagi is known and celebrated as Daniel LaRusso's mentor, but there's a part of his story that the movies touch on that remains unexplored in Cobra Kai. Many fans remember the funny teachings of the sensei, but perhaps fewer think about the man who put his life back together after his wife died during childbirth in a Japanese internment camp.
There is certainly a story to tell when it comes to Mr. Miyagi, but whether or not someone will get the chance to tell it remains to be seen. Ralph Macchio shared with CinemaBlend what he knew about the current chances of a series happening, and what Pat Morita (who had to audition several times to get his now-iconic role) would've thought of it:
There have been discussions, but nothing official, but I would love to see it and I know Pat (Morita) always wanted to dive more into how Miyagi became the man that we got to know.
A Mr. Miyagi prequel wouldn't exactly expand on the material added to the franchise via Cobra Kai, but it would be a new avenue for the Miyagiverse to expand further. In the meantime, it appears that the franchise is healthy enough, even though Season 6 of Cobra Kai still has yet to be confirmed.
It's also worth noting that while a Mr. Miyagi prequel sounds like a great idea for Netflix to pursue, there are other characters from The Karate Kid who fans still haven't seen. Hilary Swank is still waiting on her call to join the fun, though Ralph Macchio hinted to CinemaBlend that the Cobra Kai team wouldn't hesitate to reach out if an opportunity came up down the line. We'll just have to wait and see if that, as well as a Miyagi prequel, gain any steam in the coming months.
Stream Cobra Kai Seasons 1 through 5 right now on Netflix, and see why so many people are down with The Karate Kid revival. The movies are available on the platform as well, which should let anyone who only watched the shows know just how awesome Mr. Miyagi was, and why he deserves his own prequel series.
