Ralph Macchio & William Zabka on Long Journey to ‘Cobra Kai’ Season 5 (VIDEO)
Cobra Kai never dies, it’s a sentiment that rings true of the franchise from which the TV spinoff was spawned as The Karate Kid legacy carries on. Helping deliver those throughlines between film and television are series stars Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, who continue to play Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence.
As the series prepares for its fifth season, arriving Friday, September 9, the actors — who also serve as executive producers on the Netflix megahit — are reflecting on the latest chapter and on the franchise as a whole.
Did the longtime costars think The Karate Kid would continue this long? “Of course not,” Zabka admits. “When you’re 18 years old… you can’t even imagine how much time that is. So, to be here with Season 5 about to come out is incredible.”
(Credit: Curtis Bonds Baker/Netflix)
While their characters have learned to overcome their differences since the show’s debut in 2018, Macchio and Zabka’s sensei roles have been tested by the arrival of several former foes, including Kreese (Martin Kove) and, most recently, Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith). Zabka calls Griffth’s addition in Season 4 “amazing,” and it sounds like there will be even more Terry Silver in the fifth season.
“When you’re the only one who sees something, you come up looking like the crazy person,” Macchio says of his character’s understanding of what Terry Silver can be at his worst. “So, there’s a little bit of [Daniel] trying to make everyone understand how diabolical this guy is.”
“It’s a fun character journey,” Zabka promises.
See what else the actors are sharing and reflecting on in the full video interview, above, and stay tuned for more on Cobra Kai as Season 5 approaches this September.
Cobra Kai, Season 5 Premiere, Friday, September 9, Netflix
