How Cobra Kai's Creators Wanted Hilary Swank's Julie Pierce To Return

"Cobra Kai" did the two things every legacy sequel needs to do — it effectively rebooted the franchise with a fresh new cast that grew to be as memorable and likable as the original, fitting both the archetypes of the original cast while being new and unique characters. Miguel Díaz (Xolo Maridueña) and Robbie Keane (Tanner Buchanan) started off as sort of reverse Daniel and Johnny, but they ended up becoming so much more in the course of the show.

And yet, the show also managed to be a rather incredible continuation of the original "Karate Kid" trilogy. Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio) became a much more nuanced character, a flawed individual with insecurities and who grows over time, while Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) turned from a simplistic antagonist, a teen bully, into a complex three-dimensional character who made mistakes and tries to be better slowly. Indeed, "Cobra Kai" shone when it came to reintroducing villains, bringing back John Kreese (Martin Kove), Chozen (Yuji Okumoto), and even Terry Silver (Thomas Ian Griffith), making them all compelling and layered. "Cobra Kai" had some stunning writing, and an even more stunning casting work, being capable of bringing back seemingly any and all actor who had been a part of the franchise, from Elisabeth Shue (who played Ali), and Robyn Lively (who played Jessica), to Sean Kanan (Mike Barnes) and William Christopher Ford (Dennis De Guzman).

It seemed there was no one "Cobra Kai" couldn't get, no reference that was too obscure for them to ignore, no Easter egg they wouldn't go for (including musical ones). And yet, in all six seasons of the show, there was one person they never got to return — Hilary Swank as Julie Pierce from "The Next Karate Kid." Speaking with EW, "Cobra Kai" creator Josh Heald talked about bringing Swank back "and not have to commit to 10 episodes." As he explained, "It was going to feel like it could be a one- or two-episode arc, similar to what we did with Elisabeth Shue, where you can bring Ali back in at a pivotal moment and affect an important relationship." He referred to it as the "beginnings of a genesis of an idea."

"On her end, it was very respectful, but we never got that opportunity to sit down and pour our heart out the way that we typically do when we bring back characters from the legacy," Heald continued. "She was just in a place where she wasn't looking to do that. She had babies. I think she was in production on something at the time, and it was a respectful pass on even the idea of a meeting. She didn't want us to go through the trouble of flying out to her and putting our heart on the sleeve because it just wasn't something she was ready to do at that moment."

Indeed, we had already written about the showrunners' attempts at contacting Hilary Swank, and never getting an answer. It's particularly unfortunate because "The Next Karate Kid" is much better than its reputation would have you believe. It's got a different kind of protagonist than Daniel, a thematic continuation to "The Karate Kid Part III" in Julie, who is angsty and frustrated, and offers Miyagi the chance to teach her how to learn balance in a different way than he did Daniel-san. Sure, the movie wasn't spectacular, but if anyone could find a way to make the character of Julie even better and to redeem her film, it would be Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg.

Then again, if there is one thing audiences have learned about "Cobra Kai," it is to never stop believing. As Heald told EW, "For us, it was a little disappointing because we like getting everybody, but at the same time, we didn't sacrifice any huge story that we had fully developed. It's more fruit on the vine for if we can revisit this universe going forward."

Indeed, you never know what could happen. The team is definitely interested in doing more with the franchise and has talked about their ideas for a spin-off series. Perhaps this is the key to the sequel to "Karate Kid: Legends," bringing in Daniel and Julie as the legacy of Miyagi, teaming up with Jackie Chan.