William Zabka Compares Karate Kid and Cobra Kai, How Does He Feel?
William Zabka compares Cobra Kai‘s Johnny Lawrence, 1984’s the Karate Kid, and 2018’s Cobra Kai. What are the differences and how does he feel playing this role?
Cobra Kai and the Karate Kid, we love both, but sometimes nostalgic factors can make us feel different. By the time the 1984 production of The Karate Kid was released, the film amazed everyone and gained worldwide popularity. He was a legend, and a sequel was made two years later.
There was the duo of Dani and Johnny, which was discussed in the 1980s, one highly disciplined, decent, and loyal. The other was wilder, stronger, and more handsome. Years later, the duo became popular again, and they came out with the Cobra Kai series.
What does legendary William Zabka, who played the role of Johnny Lawrence in The Karate Kid and Cobra Kai, think about these two productions? The Karate Kid, the nostalgic and already legendary production, or Cobra Kai, the most popular Netflix content of recent years? William Zabka recently talked about the differences between these two productions and how he felt.
William said that the movie Karate Kid was special for him, but he loved and liked both productions very much. However, as we know, character development and storytelling in movies are a bit more limited because you have 2 hours and you have to limit yourself. The good and bad characters are shown in the movie, but the story behind the villain may not be fully conveyed. That’s why he thinks the series is better in terms of character development and storytelling, William.
“You know, in the movie, it’s a two-hour film, and it leads up to a crescendo and that’s the end. This is ongoing. So it’s been a little of a roller coaster ride emotionally there’re times where you know”
He expressed that Cobra Kai writers carefully wrote the character of Johnny Lawrence, and he liked it very much. In fact, he says that if the drama ends, he will be very sad and will feel terrible.
“I really dive into this guy and get way deep inside. And, and there’s a river flow and under him, that’s the only mine, but here we go to the end of season three and, and that has a whole new thing. So it’s been amazing.”
Unlike the movie Karate Kid, the series is about Johnny’s story, his mistakes, his decisions, and who he really is.
The Cobra Kai season 3 started streaming on Netflix as of January 1, 2021. You can watch the trailer of the 3rd season below!