If the 2010 The Karate Kid reboot had done really well, it's hard to see Cobra Kai happening at all. Starring Jackie Chan as Mr. Han and Jaden Smith as Dre, the Karate Kid reboot from 2010 is basically a beat-by-beat retelling of the original 1984 movie. While the reboot garnered mixed reviews, it was largely lambasted for practically copying The Karate Kid's entire premise - but with kung-fu instead of karate - among other criticisms.
After over a decade since its release, the 2010 reboot remains the most universally hated Karate Kid movie - even more than the substandard sequels in the canon Karate Kid and Cobra Kai timeline. That said, simply because the reboot failed, it also accomplished something that The Karate Kid Part II, The Karate Kid Part III, and The Next Karate Kid/The Karate Kid Part IV could not: pave the way for Cobra Kai. The Karate Kid's reboot laid the foundations for the stellar success of the Cobra Kai television series.
Cobra Kai Can't Happen Without Karate Kid's 2010 Reboot Failing
Had the 2010 Karate Kid reboot been successful, spawned its own universe/franchise, or if the movie had been a failed revival with an older Daniel and Johnny, there would not have been a need for a canonical Karate Kid-inspired show. Inadvertently, the reboot was so negatively received that it fueled nostalgia for the original characters and stories. While the latter sequels The Karate Kid Part III and The Next Karate Kid were met with disappointment as well, they compared favorably against the 2010 reboot for long-time viewers who disliked how it doesn't connect at all to the original films.
Curiously, the new 2024 Karate Kid reboot seems to be repeating this mistake by completely severing itself from the Cobra Kai timeline. Considering the current hype over '80s nostalgia-driven content, this move is likely to repeat history by failing and inspiring yet another nostalgic, canon Karate Kid series or movie. Maybe rebooting the Karate Kid again - and completely going against what audiences want - isn't such a bad idea after all.
Karate Kid's 2010 Failure Secretly Saved The Franchise From Obscurity
The Karate Kid's sequels had merits, but couldn't repeat the original's success, and were ultimately overshadowed by the 2010 reboot, which kept the franchise's name alive prior to Cobra Kai's debut. While critical and audience consensus is that the reboot failed, it actually made $176 million at the domestic box office and $359 million worldwide on a $40 million budget. The Karate Kid III made $38.9 million and The Next Karate Kid just $15.8 million. Combined with The Karate Kid starring Jackie Chan - one of the most prominent real martial artists in movie history - the reboot's impressive box office performance undoubtedly contributed to people wanting more Karate Kid content.
While it's debatable whether The Karate Kid's unique spin on Mr. Miyagi and Daniel LaRusso's story was any good, what's undeniable is that its commercial success and critical failure laid the groundwork for Cobra Kai to take the world by storm. Set against the early onset of the '80s nostalgia trend that gave rise to Stranger Things and Top Gun: Maverick, The Karate Kid reboot ensured that the franchise stayed relevant in the 2010s. Love it or hate it, but The Karate Kid bridged the massive time gap between the canon sequels and the series - revealing the very roots of how Cobra Kai perfected the nostalgia-driven series format.