There is a way for Jackie Chan to appear in Karate Kid-legacy hit show might soon run out of cameos from the original three movies to add into Johnny and Daniel's story – a strategy that has worked perfectly throughout the first four seasons. In this scenario, it is difficult not to anticipate even the most unlikely cameos, such as The Next Karate Kid's Hilary Swank or The Karate Kid (2010)'s Jackie Chan.
After starring in the pop culture classic The Karate Kid (1984), Ralph Macchio played Daniel LaRusso in two other Karate Kid sequels, also known as Part II and Part III. Neither of the Karate Kid sequels were as well-received as the first movie, and in 1994, Karate Kid 4 was released with a new lead, Hilary Swank. The Next Karate Kid ended up making almost the same as the other two Karate Kid sequels at the box office, and for more than a decade, it seemed like the Karate Kid franchise had ended. That changed with 2010's The Karate Kid, a remake of the original Karate Kid movie starring Jaden Smith as the apprentice Dre Parker and Jackie Chan as Mr. Han.
As a remake of a Hollywood classic with no connections to the original The Karate Kid other than the name, the Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan movie did little to stand out. The 2010 remake doesn't do anything different from Daniel and Miyagi's story in of plot, and the remake also made the odd decision of telling a Kung fu-learning story rather than a karate one. Still, The Karate Kid (2010) had an overall positive reception, and there are many who wish to see Jaden Smith's Dre and Jackie Chan's Mr. Han interacting with the Cobra Kai characters in season 5 or beyond. Unfortunately, the Cobra Kai canon makes it difficult for it to happen, especially because the remake has absolutely no ties with the original movie. There is, however, a meta way to bring at least Jackie Chan to Cobra Kai – by acknowledging the 2010 Karate Kid as an in-universe movie.
Is 2010's The Karate Kid Canon To Cobra Kai?
As confirmed by the Cobra Kai producers on different occasions, the Cobra Kai canon is limited to characters who interacted with or at least knew about Mr. Miyagi. That allows for Hilary Swank's Julie to appear in Cobra Kai, but it rules out The Karate Kid (2010) as a possible part of the show's canon. However, also according to the Cobra Kai producers, not only is Jackie Chan a real actor and performer in the world of Cobra Kai, the 2010 Karate Kid is the only Karate Kid movie that could possibly exist in that world.
How Jackie Chan Can Appear In Cobra Kai (Without Breaking Canon)
Considering that Jackie Chan has already been referenced in Cobra Kai season 1 and that the producers believe The Karate Kid (2010) exists as a popular movie in that universe, the best way to have Jackie Chan on the show is to simply bring the fictional actor who played Mr. Han into the story. For the Cobra Kai characters, Mr. Han and 2010's The Karate Kid might be as important as Pat Morita's Mr. Miyagi and the 1984 Karate Kid movie are in the real world. This would be a meta way for Cobra Kai to acknowledge the Karate Kid remake and its characters without breaking canon, and it would also add to the themes of nostalgia so present in the lives of Daniel and Johnny.