Cobra Kai star Ralph Macchio recently revealed the return of Thomas Ian Griffith as Terry Silver in Season 4 of the Netflix series has been in the works for a while.
"One thing we've done is we've really talked through the arcs and how to not give too much at once," Macchio told The Wrap. "Keep those Easter eggs just carefully placed, keep those O.G. guest stars peppered at the right time to propel the story in an organic way."
The actor added that a cameo by the Karate Kid Part III villain was always "in the crosshairs" and revealed they had several conversations about "when to bring Terry Silver back and in what capacity," as well as "how he plays in regard to the Kreese character, the Johnny Lawrence character, the [Daniel] LaRusso character. It's another wrench in our karate soap opera." Macchio also had some nice things to say about Griffith, explaining, "Thomas is really wonderful. I'm really happy for him. I just texted him this morning, 'Strap in. Life's about to change. Welcome to the dojo.' He sent back a term of endearment, as well."
Silver was introduced in The Karate Kid Part III as the the founder of the Cobra Kai dojo, which was run by John Kreese (Martin Kove). Fans of the film franchise will recall that Silver is even more intense than Kreese, and went from being Daniel's sensei to his foe. While few details about Silver's return have been revealed, promotional material for Season 4 features Silver standing with his back to the camera, as well as callbacks to Karate Kid III.
Cobra Kai premiered on YouTube Premium in 2018 and moved to Netflix for Season 3. The series is set 34 years after the events of the original Karate Kid film and centers on Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso, now adults and leaders of their respective dojos: Cobra Kai and Miyagi-Do Karate. Season 3 ended with Johnny and Danny joining forces and preparing to take on their shared enemy: Kreese. Season 3 also shed some light on Kreese and Silver's Army days, flashing back to their time serving in the Vietnam War.
Cobra Kai stars William Zabka, Ralph Macchio, Courtney Henggeler, Xolo Maridueña, Tanner Buchanan, Mary Mouser, Jacob Bertrand, Gianni DeCenzo, Martin Kove, Vanessa Rubio and Peyton List. Seasons 1-3 are currently streaming on Netflix. Season 4 has yet to receive a premiere date.
Source: The Wrap