Jackie Chan & Ralph Macchio Team Up in New ‘Karate Kid: Legends’ Movie: Everything We Know So Far

Lauren Novak March 25, 10:00 am

KARATE KID: LEGENDS, poster, top from left: Jackie Chan, Ralph Macchio, bottom from left: Joshua Jackson, Ben Wang, Sadie Stanley, 2025. — Columbia Pictures /Courtesy Everett Collection

Karate Kid fans, you’re in for a real treat! Jackie Chan and Ralph Macchio teamed up for a brand new Karate Kid film, Karate Kid: Legends, which will premiere exclusively in theaters on May 30, 2025. Both stars will be reprising their roles from their Karate Kid films.

And in even more exciting news, Macchio and Chan previously shared that kids from all over the world can submit an audition tape to become the new star of the movie. Now, they have cast the part — and he is not a kid after all. 25-year-old Ben Wang, best known for the Disney+ series American Born Chinese, is the next Karate Kid. He was reportedly cast due to being fluent in Mandarin as well as having experience with martial arts and acting. Check out his skills in the official trailer below.

KARATE KID: LEGENDS, from left: Jackie Chan, Ben Wang, Ralph Macchio, 2025.

Jonathan Wenk/Columbia Pictures/courtesy Everett Collection

In the new film, Wang plays Li Fong, a kung fu prodigy forced to relocate from China to New York City. Once there, he discovers a local karate competition but must adapt to a new fighting style in order to win. Mr. Han (Chan) and Daniel LaRusso (Macchio) team up to help him succeed.

Wang told EW about working with Chan, “I grew up watching Jackie Chan movies. He is the first memory I have of knowing what an actor is. It was all of my favorite things in one place.”

Macchio appeared in the 1984 version of The Karate Kid, as well as its sequels, as LaRusso. His character became a karate champion after some unusual training from Mr. Miyagi, played by the late Pat Morita, who earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal. Chan took over the role of a mentor in the 2010 remake starring Jaden Smith.

THE KARATE KID, PART II, Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, 1988

Columbia Pictures/Everett Collection

After seeing the success of the recent television series Cobra Kai had in bringing back some of the characters from the ’80s films in the series, Sony began working on the latest sequel. It will all-new chapter in the Miyagi-Do story.