Could “Cobra Kai” fans get a prequel series focusing on Miyagi? The following is a comment from the show's creator.

Could “Cobra Kai” fans get a prequel series focusing on Miyagi? The following is a comment from the show's creator.

The world of Miyagi is alive and well in the hit Netflix series “Cobra Kai,” a sequel and spin-off to the popular film “The Karate Kid.”

The teachings of Mr. Miyagi, the sage from the original 1984 film “The Karate Kid,” played by Academy Award-nominated actor Pat Morita, have permeated the martial arts drama's past five seasons, and the show's sixth and final season, which will be available in three parts starting July 18 ) will no doubt follow. (The second installment will premiere on November 28, with the final five episodes scheduled for 2025.)

The mystery surrounding the late Mr. Miyagi is reportedly one of the main plot points of Season 6, which will show his old student Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) a new side of the karate instructor. And the creators of “Cobra Kai” have said in a recent interview with CinemaBlend that they are interested in showing a further side of Mr. Miyagi in a possible prequel spin-off.

“We discussed it. If we were to look at Miyagi in the Pat Morita era, I don't think we would recast Miyagi. Our minds run wild, and we like to think about what Mr. Miyagi was like 100 years ago,” series co-creator Josh Heald told the magazine. Everyone knows the story Miyagi tells in [Karate Kid: Part 2] about his youth and Sato. So it's not out of the realm of [possibility] to explore a different era of Mr. Miyagi at some point in this franchise, with a different cast.”

Morita passed away in 2005 at the age of 73, so “Cobra Kai” is very respectful of Morita's legacy within the franchise, choosing no CGI or visual effects to represent the younger Miyagi in the series.

“I think we personally hit on the idea of going back to a timeline that coincided with when Daniel knew Miyagi and doing it with anyone but Pat,” Heald continued. Heald continued, “In the series so far, we've been very careful about the use of images and the filming, and I think that's what we're trying to do.

“But to look back and show [the face], it has to be a different era or it has to be Pat. It has to look like Pat. It has to look like Pat. It would be a bump in the road for people to say, 'This is 1986 and it's not at all what I remember.

The creators of “Cobra Kai” have previously revealed that they would like to expand Miyagi's world with more spin-offs, so perhaps a prequel to “Mr. Miyagi” will hit the screen in the near future, with another actor playing the young Naruyoshi Miyagi.

Tom's Guide will keep you updated on the latest news surrounding the “Cobra Kai” and a possible Miyagiverse spin-off series, including behind-the-scenes tidbits, casting information, showrunner insights, and more. Until then, you can revisit the first five seasons of the martial arts comedy drama via Netflix subscription.

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