Why Did ‘Cobra Kai’ Star Ralph Macchio Turn Down Will Smith for ‘The Karate Kid’ Remake?

Published 10/20/2022, 7:30 AM EDT

via Imago

The Karate Kid trilogy was one of the most iconic film franchises of the 1980s. Even though huge film franchises like Star Wars and Indiana Jones came after still The Karate Kid remains to be extremely popular. All thanks to 2010 The Karate Kid remake by Will Smith and the Cobra Kai series on Netflix. Since the inception of Cobra Kai, the love for the original trilogy has been rekindled among the masses as fans are delighted to see what their favorite characters from the 70s are up to now decades later. However, do you know that Karate Kid fame Ralph Macchio had a chance to star in the remake with Jaden Smith?

The 2010 remake of The Karate Kid was among one of the most loved films at the time of its release. The fans could not get enough of the young Jaden Smith and the legendary actor Jackie Chan. So why did Ralph Macchio turn down the chance of getting featured in the film? Let us find out.

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Ralph Macchio on Will Smith recreating The Karate Kid

Ralph Macchio, also known for his role as Daniel LaRusso in Netflix’s Cobra Kai, made some big revelations in his book, Waxing On; The Karate Kid and Me. Macchio revealed that Will Smith offered him to be a part of the remake starring Jaden Smith, but he refused.

Moreover, Macchio admitted, “I was hoping there would be more original content coming out of Hollywood soon but wished everyone good luck and success.” Macchio also wrote how he was unhappy on learning that the remake did not feature the original stars. Moreover, the Cobra Kai star called it a “shocking moment.”

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Furthermore, the actor revealed in an interview how the Men in Black star did not directly offer him a big role. Macchio added,“He just said, any involvement you want, we could figure it out.”

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What role in The Karate Kid 2010 do you think would have been appropriate for Ralph Macchio? Do let us know in the comments below.

 

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Hamza Qazi

890 articles

Introducing Hamza Qazi, a Hollywood and Anime News writer at Netflix Junkie. Hamza's love affair with anime began early in his life when he fell in love with Naruto, which sparked his interest in reporting. He began channelizing his inner reporter by writing for his school magazine and later for a college magazine.

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