Why Hilary Swank’s Julie Pierce Never Appeared In Cobra Kai

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In February, the popular Netflix series “Cobra Kai” concluded with Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka), once a fierce rival of Daniel LaRusso in “The Karate Kid,” emerging victorious in a major tournament. Over six seasons, these two characters transformed their relationship into friendship and co-teaching positions in karate. They were among the five main characters who appeared in all 65 episodes of “Cobra Kai.” Throughout the series, they aimed to pass on the lessons they learned as youngsters to their own students in karate. Notable figures from the original four “Karate Kid” films consistently made appearances, including a significant scene in Season 6, Part 3 that employed computer graphics and artificial intelligence technology to bring back Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), Daniel’s mentor.

Hilary Swank, an Oscar-winning actress, wasn’t part of “Cobra Kai,” despite being known for her role as Julie Pearce in “The Next Karate Kid” from 1994, which marked her debut in the franchise. This was the film where Ralph Macchio didn’t appear as Daniel, possibly because at that time, he was too old to continue portraying the character of Daniel, who had grown beyond the age of 28. Swank’s character, Julie Pearce, was trained by Mr. Miyagi in a manner similar to how he had trained Daniel.

In a Q&A session on X, creator Jon Hurwitz confirmed that “The Next Karate Kid” and Julie are part of the franchise lore, but admitted they couldn’t contact Hilary Swank to ask if she would participate in “Cobra Kai.” Despite reaching out to her representatives multiple times, Hurwitz shared that they never had a chance to communicate with Swank directly. He stated that she wasn’t keen on participating at the moment, and they respected her decision. They continue to be avid fans of her work.

Plenty of familiar faces returned from the old Cobra Kai dojo

Jon Hurwitz hinted that Hilary Swank might rejoin the “Miyagiverse,” as she won her Best Actress Oscar for “Million Dollar Baby” which is set in a world of fictional combat. It’s speculative, but it seems that negative reactions to a female lead in “The Next Karate Kid” may have made her shy away from the franchise entirely. If this is true, a more inclusive “Cobra Kai” fanbase might persuade her to return. However, even without Swank, “Cobra Kai” still featured many familiar characters like John Kreese, Terry Silver, Mike Barnes, and Dennis De Guzman who were all part of the original dojo and beyond, alongside Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence.

1. In “Cobra Kai,” characters Chozen Toguchi (Yuji Okumoto) and Kumiko Tanaka (Tamlyn Tomita), who were the villain from the second film and Daniel’s love interest respectively, returned. Fans of the show had been eager for the return of Ali Mills (Elisabeth Shue) since the beginning, given her significance in the first movie, and she appeared in two episodes of Season 3 following a tease at the end of Season 2. The original trio of Johnny’s friends – Bobby (Ron Thomas), Tommy (Rob Garrison, who later passed away due to health issues), and Jimmy (Tony O’Dell) – were back for a farewell party with Tommy in Season 2, but only Rob Garrison’s character returned for Season 3. Daniel’s mother, Lucille (Randee Heller), made four brief appearances throughout the series.

In contrast to expectations, “Karate Kid: Legends” – a movie sequel to “Cobra Kai” – won’t include actress Hilary Swank.

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2025-05-14 18:43