Netflix’s Cobra Kai Shows Disney How Legacy Sequels Are Done

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Reviving old franchises is always a gamble, but Netflix’s Cobra Kai proved how it can be done well, offering a lesson for Disney and others. These kinds of sequels often divide audiences – people either love them and want more, or they feel like a lack of original thinking. Ultimately, the success of a legacy sequel comes down to having a genuine reason to revisit the story.

The 2015 film Star Wars: The Force Awakens is probably the most well-known example of a legacy sequel. While fans generally liked it, the subsequent Star Wars films and spin-offs Disney made were often divisive. Many felt these new stories didn’t build on the original films, and actually detracted from their impact. In contrast, Netflix’s Cobra Kai has been a success in continuing a beloved story.

Cobra Kai Is The Perfect Legacy Sequel

The show Cobra Kai is a great example of how to successfully continue a classic story. As a spin-off of the Karate Kid movies from the 1980s, it brought back familiar faces like Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence. But instead of just giving them a new adventure, the show cleverly tells the story from the point of view of the original villain, Johnny Lawrence, who becomes a central character.

As a huge movie fan, I think the success of Cobra Kai really came down to how cleverly they played with a familiar story. We all know the Karate Kid formula – the wise master teaching a teenager – and honestly, it was starting to feel a little predictable. But Cobra Kai flipped the script! They took the ‘bad guy,’ Johnny Lawrence, and made him the sensei, while painting Daniel LaRusso as the privileged antagonist. What I loved is that even with that twist, the show still kept the heart of The Karate Kid – the underdog winning, people finding redemption, and the power of hard work. It felt so fresh, especially when so many legacy sequels are just rehashes of old ideas.

The Force Awakens Launched A New Era Of Legacy Sequels

Whether you loved it or not, Star Wars: The Force Awakens started a trend of making sequels to older, popular franchises. The film was very successful, proving to studios that they could make money by revisiting their classic properties. This led to a surge of nostalgic movies and TV shows starting in 2015.

That’s why the streaming series Cobra Kai started in 2018, and quickly stood out when compared to later movies in franchises like Jurassic Park, Creed, Terminator, Space Jam, and The Matrix. While many of these franchises began strongly (similar to Star Wars), they didn’t maintain success because they relied too heavily on familiar memories instead of offering something new.

Cobra Kai Had More To Offer Than Just Nostalgia

There’s no question that Cobra Kai heavily relied on nostalgia, but that was just one part of what made the show work. It wasn’t just about The Karate Kid; it was a love letter to martial arts movies in general. Cobra Kai developed its own distinct personality and expanded on the original films instead of simply trying to recreate them.

As a huge movie buff, I think what really sets Cobra Kai apart from other attempts to bring back classic franchises is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s way more over-the-top than the original Karate Kid movies, and honestly, it’s hilarious – it even jokes about its own flaws! It’s something Disney hasn’t quite figured out with their legacy sequels yet, in my opinion.

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2025-12-24 22:38