Summary
- Despite Cobra Kai bringing back several characters from the original Karate Kid films, Hilary Swank never returned.
- Swank played Julie in The Next Karate Kid, training under Mr. Miyagi after Daniel LaRusso.
- Swank prioritized her family over the offer to return as Julie Pierce in Cobra Kai.
The reason why Hilary Swank never returned to the Karate Kid franchise like so many other actors on Cobra Kai has finally been revealed. The franchise began in 1984 with the release of The Karate Kid, which starred Ralph Macchio as a high schooler being bullied by karate-practicing students (led by William Zabka). This bullying spurred Macchio's Daniel LaRusso to learn martial arts from a neighborhood elder, Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita). There were three more sequels following the exploits of Mr. Miyagi, with the franchise lying dormant until the 2010 reboot starring Jackie Chan.
Cobra Kai debuted in 2018, continuing the story established in the original film series by following Zabka and Macchio's characters in adulthood. The series did a fantastic job of bringing back actors from the original Karate Kid movies, helping to show how the world has evolved throughout the years. However, one of the most talked-about actors fans wanted to see return in Cobra Kai was Hilary Swank, who starred opposite Morita in 1994's The Next Karate Kid. Despite audience fervor, Swank never returned during the show's six-season run, but the creators behind the show have finally revealed why.
Cobra Kai: Every Season, Ranked
Cobra Kai has finally ended, with Season Six closing on a huge high, but how does each season rank within the series?
The Next Karate Kid and Hilary Swank's Role, Explained
The Next Karate Kid was the first film in the series not to feature Macchio's Daniel LaRusso, as the story sees Mr. Miyagi attend a military commendation ceremony to honor Japanese Americans who fought in WWII. Miyagi meets the widow of his former commander, who is raising her granddaughter Julie (Swank) following her parents' deaths in a car accident. Julie's recent loss has left her feeling angry, which is driving a rift between her and her grandmother. However, Julie shows an aptitude for karate. She reveals to Miyagi that she learned it from her father, who was taught by his father, Miyagi's former student.
To help Julie cope with her anger issues, Miyagi helps train Julie in karate, with the two growing closer as he acts as a caregiver and sensei. During this time, a group of troublemaking teens at high school called the Alpha Elite, a pseudo-security guard fraternity, are out to make Julie's life hell. Following the prom, which sees Miyagi buying Julie a dress and teaching her to dance, she is thrust into one last fight with the Alpha Elite. Thanks to Miyagi's teachings, Julie holds her own, winning a battle against the lead bully, Ned. Miyagi then fights the leader of the Alpha Elite, besting him in combat, which causes his underlings to abandon him.
The Karate Kid Actors Who Returned For Cobra Kai
Ralph Macchio and William Zabka are the most obvious returning Karate Kid actors. Their characters, Danny LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence, lead the cast of Netflix's Cobra Kai along with their families, proving to be the driving force of the show. However, they are far from the only familiar faces. Over six seasons, the series brought back numerous characters and the actors who played them in the Karate Kid franchise.
John Kreese, the man behind the Cobra Kai dojo in The Karate Kid, not only returned for the series, but also served as one of the show's biggest villains, with actor Martin Kove playing the character again. Thomas Ian Griffith's Terry Silver, the villain of The Karate Kid Part III, also returned for Cobra Kai. Kreese again served as the link to the character, much like his original sequel appearance. Other villain-leaning roles that returned included many of Johnny's friends, with Bobby, Jimmy, and Tommy, and more Part III antagonists in Dennis de Guzman and Mike Barnes.
Cobra Kai also brought back love interests like Elisabeth Shue's Ali, who has a history with Johnny and Daniel in the first film, posing an interesting character for them to revisit. Daniel's love interest in Part II, Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita) and in Part III, Jessica (Robyn Lively), returned for Cobra Kai appearances. The show even turned the Karate Kid Part II villain, Chozen Toguchi, into a long-running character who was featured across several seasons. However, despite Cobra Kai's uncanny ability to bring actors back to roles they originated years ago, the series could never secure Hilary Swank's return to the show.
Cobra Kai Creators Reveal Why Hilary Swank Never Returned To The Karate Kid Franchise
With Cobra Kai now over, the creators of the show, Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg, have revealed the details surrounding Julie Pierce's planned return to Entertainment Weekly. They had hoped to bring Julie back to the revival series and even reached out to the actress with an offer, intending to sit down with Swank for a proper discussion about the character. Heald stated:
We did reach out in the very early days before the season to see if there was a path [for her to appear]. We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story [...] It was going to feel like it could be a one- or two-episode arc, similar to what we did with Elisabeth Shue, where you can bring Ali back in at a pivotal moment and affect an important relationship.
However, that meeting never took place, with Swank turning them down. Heald said, "On her end, it was very respectful, but we never got that opportunity to sit down and pour our heart out the way that we typically do when we bring back characters from the legacy." Swank's decision to decline the meeting was motivated by reasons surrounding her family, as she chose to prioritize her children over coming back for Cobra Kai. Heald continued:
She was just in a place where she wasn't looking to do that. She had had babies. [...] She didn't want us to go through the trouble of flying out to her and putting our heart on the sleeve because it just wasn't something she was ready to do at that moment.
While fans may know why Swank didn't return to Cobra Kai, there is disappointment in a missed opportunity despite the actress's commendable reasons for opting out. While the Karate Kid franchise is likely hoping to continue, with Karate Kid: Legends recently hitting theaters, Swank returning for a future project still feels unlikely. The Next Karate Kid was early in Swank's career, and it is also the worst-reviewed movie in the franchise, which likely didn't sit well with the actor over the years, making it potentially seem like a poor idea to revisit it. While Cobra Kai never got the chance to bring Julie back for the fans, Swank's reasons are understandable, and the Karate Kid franchise has found success without her.
Cobra Kai
- Release Date
- 2018 - 2025-00-00
- Network
- Netflix, YouTube Premium
- Showrunner
- Jon Hurwitz
- Directors
- Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz, Joel Novoa, Jennifer Celotta, Steven K. Tsuchida, Sherwin Shilati, Marielle Woods, Steve Pink, Lin Oeding, Michael Grossman
- Writers
- Josh Heald, Ashley Darnall, Chris Rafferty, Bill Posley
Cast
-
Ralph MacchioDaniel LaRusso -
William ZabkaJohnny Lawrence
