I Watched Karate Kid: Legends, And One Deep-Cut Character Detail Is Still Bothering Me
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Minor spoilers for Karate Kid: Legends lie ahead, so read on accordingly.
The Karate Kid film series officially expands with a sixth installment that's subtitled Legends. Yet the Jonathan Entwistle-helmed 2025 movie release also melds the Miyagi-verse continuity with that of the 2010 film. As a result, Ralph Macchio's Daniel LaRusso returns as does Jackie Chan's Mr. Han to mentor a new karate student, Li Fong (Ben Wang). I had the opportunity to see the legacy sequel myself and, as a fan of the franchise, I'm not too high on it. However, there's one specific detail that's really bugging me.
When fans last saw handyman Mr. Han at the end of 2010's The Karate Kid (which still receives love), he was celebrating with young Parker (Jaden Smith), as the latter emerged victorious at a kung fu tournament. The opening of Legends makes it clear that a lot has changed for Han since his last appearance. From the jump, it's established that Han is now a revered shifu who oversees multiple schools in Beijing. The character's status doesn't bug me on its own, but it's the lack of clarity regarding how he got there that's annoying.
I found myself scratching my head over the fact that Legends doesn't make any kind of attempt to fill in the blanks when it comes to how Han became a legendary master throughout all of China. As mentioned, he was a handyman who was hesitant to take on just one student. Now, not only is he eager to take on new protégés – like his great nephew, Li Fong – but he's also overseeing a wide swath of kung fu trainees. There's not even any slight reference to his past as a maintenance man (and not any mention of Dre either).
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Considering how far Han has come personally and professionally, I really would've appreciated, at the very least, a little bit of exposition to explain how his life shifted shortly after the events of the 2010 flick. I mean, did he and Dre participate in other tournaments, earning Han enough notoriety as a teacher to start a school? Or did he leverage his family's history with martial arts in some way? We, the viewers, are only left to assume and try to draw our own conclusions.
My gripe may sound nitpicky but, when you've established a continuity, character backstory and other details should be taken into account. Then again, this is a film that has no problem bending what's come before, given how it ropes Han into the Miyagi-verse's mythology.
Now that Jackie Chan's jovial character is back in the fold, it's hard not to wonder whether he might return. Considering his current status, there are certainly opportunities for him to pop up again. I wouldn't be surprised if Chan expressed openness to playing the character again at some point, too. After all, the iconic actor doesn't seem to have any plans to retire and, as he explained to CinemaBlend, he's still set on doing his own stunts even in his 70s.
I would imagine, however, that such a reprisal would depend on Legends' performance at the box office. During its opening weekend, the film amassed a global cume of $47 million against a production budget of $45 million. That's respectable and, should it trend in the right direction, it could finish its theatrical run with a solid haul.
Sony seems to be all in on this storied martial arts franchise, as potential spinoffs for the hit offshoot TV series, Cobra Kai (which is streamable with a Netflix subscription) are reportedly being considered. We can only speculate as to whether that good fortune from the small-screen side of the franchise will extend to the cinema. For now, fans can see Karate Kid: Legends in theaters and, if they feel like I do, they can hope that any potential sequel might provide clarity on Mr. Han's personal journey.
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