Just when fans thought it was time to bid farewell to Cobra Kai, the Miyagi-verse surprised everyone with the news of a new addition to the franchise: a new Karate Kid movie. Since the announcement, fans have been mulling over countless questions, especially about how the movie will tie into the Cobra Kai series. However, the delay in the series finale has left many disappointed. The big question now is whether this holdup will only throw off the hardcore fans awaiting the release, or if it will affect the Karate Kid movie as well.

There is a theory floating around amidst the delays that hints at how both storylines could end up intertwining within the franchise. 

Throughout its five seasons, Cobra Kai carried on the Karate Kid story until the summer of 2019. Just recently, Sony Pictures dropped the news that the next Karate Kid flick's release date got bumped back five months to May 30, 2025, all thanks to production hiccups on Cobra Kai season 6 caused by the Hollywood strike. And since the movie can not move forward until Cobra Kai wraps up its finale, it is a safe bet that the Netflix series will lay the groundwork for the new Karate Kid movie's plot. 

Sony has even gone ahead and confirmed that the filming and release hurdles of Cobra Kai have thrown a 2024 release for the Karate Kid out the window. Nonetheless, the good thing is Cobra Kai’s filming began earlier this year and things have been set in motion. While it seems like the Hollywood strikes were the big sticking point for these delays, there might be some other factors at play too.

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It is possible that the hold-up on Karate Kid has more to it than just syncing the storyline with Cobra Kai's chronology.

One thing that has been getting fans all hyped up about the new Karate Kid is the involvement of Ralph Macchio, who will also be a part of Cobra Kai season 6. In the upcoming film, his character will team up with Jackie Chan's Mr. Han to mentor a new karate kid named Li Fong. Since Macchio is a key player in both projects, the delay of the anticipated movie might just be down to his hectic filming schedule with the Netflix series.

The movie might have been pushed back just to give Macchio some breathing room to finish up his earlier commitments. Looking on the bright side of these setbacks, it could mean the viewers are in for some awesome surprise appearances in the upcoming Netflix installment and there is still a chance that Chan's Mr. Han or newbie Li Fong may make an appearance in the final season of Cobra Kai.

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What do you think about the delays in Miyagi-verse? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!