While the hit Netflix series Cobra Kai is coming to an end, the show's creators insist that it was their own choice, not the network's.In a recent Twitter Q&A, creator and showrunner Jon Hurwitz was asked about his reaction after Netflix told him Season 6 would be Cobra Kai's series finale. However, he replied that such a thing never occurred. "We told them it was the last season," he wrote. "We've always wanted to end Cobra Kai on our own terms and we are grateful we have the opportunity to do so." Indeed, Hurwitz, as well as fellow co-creators Josh Heald and Hayden Schlossberg, have said before the official announcement that they planned for Cobra Kai to go on for about six seasons. Thus, the answer merely confirms the existing idea that the ending the creators envisioned for the show will be realized, not rushed or forced on the network's part.
Cobra Kai Spinoffs Expand the Miyagiverse
However, Hurwitz also hinted at the possibility of another potential spinoff, perhaps branching beyond the lives of its main characters, Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, played by Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, respectively. In the tweet, Hurwitz said that the ending of the show "doesn't mean we're finished with the Miyagiverse. We love this world." Furthermore, there is at least one planned spinoff currently in development: another film, which is set to be released sometime in 2024. Those projects will not have any of Cobra Kai's creators involved.
Season 5 of Cobra Kai was released on September 9, 2022, and ended on a number of cliffhangers. Series villains John Kreese, played by Martin Kove, faked his own death to escape prison, and Terry Silver, portrayed by Thomas Ian Griffith, was sent to prison for Cobra Kai's crimes after losing the support of his students. Johnny, meanwhile, has gotten his girlfriend Carmen pregnant. Season six, then, is likely to explore the birth of the baby and the fallout from Kreese's escape.
Will Hillary Swank Appear on Cobra Kai?
So far, almost all the living Karate Kid actors have been brought back to the show, though some fans have been awaiting the return of Hilary Swank, the star of The Next Karate Kid. The 1994 film, a standalone entry from the rest of the series, saw Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita) in Boston training Julie Pierce (Swank), the troubled granddaughter of his old army buddy and karate student. When asked about a possible appearance, Swank recently said she wasn't asked, stating "No one's called me, but it's so funny, isn't it, that's the one thing I get asked the most and no one's called me?" However, it's possible she could be covering for a prospective surprise return for the show's final season.
All five existing seasons of Cobra Kai, as well as the three Karate Kid movies, are available to stream on Netflix. Season 6 does not yet have an official release date. The as-yet-untitled next Karate Kid film is currently scheduled to hit theaters on June 7, 2024.
Source: Twitter