Cobra Kai's Next Generation Dishes On Superheroes & Season 5

Cobra Kai started as a show about Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso, but it quickly became a show about the younger generation as well. Some of the most important players of that next generation are Xolo Maridueña's Miguel Diaz and Mary Mouser's Samantha LaRusso. Of course, as their storylines grew, other characters came into their orbits, like Gianni DeCenzo's Demetri Alexopoulos, Jacob Bertrand's Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz, and Peyton List's Tory Nichols.

CBR had a chance to talk to all five actors in an interview ahead of the premiere of Season 5. The group joked around with each other, and it was a blast to join in on the conversation. Although a lot of the discussion centered around the question of who they'd want to fight against in a karate tournament, the best part of it was the way these actors related to each other, something that also comes through on the screen.

CBR: We have to start with this question because we've asked it of everyone. If you were facing a superhero in a karate tournament, what superhero would you want to face and why? Before you all answer, we want to point out that William [Zabka] said that he wouldn't pick Blue Beetle because it would be too easy.

[a chorus of "oohs" erupted as everyone turns to look at Xolo Maridueña]

Xolo Maridueña: Billy has someone wiping his butt for him.

[everyone laughs]

Maridueña: Let me see. No, Billy looks more like... He kind of looks like Sandman from the third Spider-Man.

Gianni DeCenzo: When he melts into sand?

Mary Mouser: [laughs] I think you're taking this a little personally. I think you can slow down and take some heat off.

Maridueña: It's hard, okay?

Jacob Bertrand: He kind of does.

Peyton List: Is this a roast?

Cobra Kai Miguel Hawk and Robbie Training

Maridueña: I think Nightcrawler is really cool. His powers are... I mean, Blue Beetle is my favorite, but Nightcrawler is my second favorite.

Bertrand: That's the teleporting guy?

Maridueña: Yeah.

DeCenzo: Wait, you're saying who would we fight in the All-Valley?

Maridueña: Or who would you want to be?

No, who would you fight?

DeCenzo: Oh, any character that I would fight, I would die.

[all laugh]

DeCenzo: So, none of them. Or: Charles Xavier?

Demetri and Hawk team up at the LaRusso house in Cobra Kai season three

Maybe someone you want to meet?

Maridueña: Maybe someone that you would want to work with.

DeCenzo: That I would work with... Robert Downey Jr., okay.

Xolo Maridueña: Okay, Iron Man.

DeCenzo: Iron Man. He'd be cool.

Jacob Bertrand: I would probably pick, like, The Flash or something because I feel like I'm a little bit faster than him. I would have an edge there, and I think I'm also a little smarter. Just, like, [an] upgrade.

[all laugh]

Maridueña: [mimics running] …on the green screen.

List: Maybe Zoe Saldana. I think I would love to just…

Bertrand: Fight her?

List: I think I would love to just get beaten by her, honestly.

Bertrand: [mimics getting hit] Yes. [continues to mimic getting hit] "I love your work." [makes hitting noises]

List: I'm like… "You are so cool."

Mouser: I pick Elektra because at least if I'm going to get beat... hopefully, I'd learn something while I'm getting taken down.

Johnny tells Miguel about failing as a father in Cobra Kai

Bertrand: Who's Elektra?

DeCenzo: Learn something?

Maridueña: She has worked with Daredevil, right?

Mouser: Yeah.

DeCenzo: She has electricity powers? What would you learn, though?

Mouser: Sais -- she does the sais.

Bertrand: She doesn't have electricity?

[Mouser and Maridueña say no]

Bertrand: Oh, that's so misleading.

DeCenzo: Sai girl.

Mouser: Stabby person.

Bertrand: Stab woman.

If you had to pick a character you haven't had many scenes with that you'd like to share more scenes with, who would it be?

Mouser: I feel like I get excited about the LaRusso family drama, so I get scenes with Courtney [Henggeler], but I think I always get excited when I have scenes with Courtney and then with Griffin [Santopietro], who plays my little brother Anthony as well. That's always fun.