The Karate Kid movies can be distinguished as possibly every present-day movie buffs gateway to their fascination with cinema and theatre today. With its passion inducing premise and lovable set of characters and their dynamics with each other, there was rarely a Karate Kid appreciator who was not seen sparring with a wall or thin air to instill in themselves the feeling of being a rebellious martial arts prodigy. Jaden Smith being no less of an enabler of it at his tender age of eleven. 

Despite having been rebooted in 2018 as a sequel series Cobra Kai, there is nothing similar, at east in terms of face, that lay within the show, making it even easier to be hyped up for the news of what is to come, especially if it concerns the Karate Kids: Legends.

Although the rapper-slash-musician-slash-actor has appeared on a few albums, some shows and so on, Jaden Smith's reappearance in The Karate Kid universe after a decade and half would be something that would have enthusiasts spilling over the edges of their chairs. But to their disappointment, the former-child-actor seems to not have appeared in the latest installation to the franchise; Karate Kid: Legends, as per the cast information that has been revealed.

Being the sixth film in the Karate Kid franchise after the Jaden Smith starrer The Karate Kid from 2010, Karate Kid: Legends is set to be released May 30, 2025, and is set to follow the plot of the franchise as and where it was left off in the spin off series, Cobra Kai's sixth and final season. While it would have been a delight for the rapper and Will Smith jr. to have been joining the cast for maybe even just a short kick into the future, there is more lack of reason than reason for him to be rejoining the Karate Kid franchise. 

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Smith, however absent he may be from the sets of Karate Kid: Legends, he is not all that much absent from his life as a musician, it being his most vibrant tool of expression as is seen in many a place. 

The Grammys, like any other red carpet may be simply a carpet honoring musicians, but a carpet filled with unapologetic and so-sure participants that might be here just to have a fun time flaunting on the roll down. And Jaden Smith was no stranger to the fun and expression; walking in with an elaborate castle perched on top of his head, with a cutout opening just about the size of his head. The elaborate diorama of the castle seemed to be a mimic of Willem Dafoe's viral GQ Italia Man of the Year form 2023.

Having left a prominent mark on almost every child that has held the privilege to be exposed to media while they were still young, the franchise's appeal lies in it timeless themes of resilience and the triumph that come with conquering something you never thought you could. And while the absence of Smith, especially since it is a movie, will be immensely felt by the spectators, there can only be hope for the legacy to be held and carried on for its further adaptations as well. 

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