In Cobra Kai, the Karate Kid is all grown-up and owns a car dealership

Originally published on July 13, 2018

Ever since The Karate Kid came out in the mid-'80s, Ralph Macchio, the original Karate Kid, has been repeatedly asked to reprise the role. Now, 30 years later, he's finally agreed to do it. 

In his new show, Cobra Kai, Macchio is back as a grown-up version of Danny LaRusso who still has to settle an old rivalry with the bully Johnny Lawrence, played by the original actor, William Zabka. The show picks up about 30 years after the first Karate Kid movie, but Macchio says it feels like no time has passed at all. 

"It was all about finding the right angle into the story and making it fresh," Macchio tells q guest host Talia Schlanger. "There are so many reboots all the time, now more than ever. Sometimes they are very successful and well done, and very often they feel like quick cash grabs that only taint the legacy. That's not something anybody is interested in doing."

Cobra Kai is streaming on YouTube Premium, which is now available in Canada. You can watch a few episodes online for free.  

— Produced by Vanessa Greco