Cobra Kai teaser trailer reignites the Karate Kid rivalry for sequel series

The doors of Cobra Kai have reopened in EW’s exclusive teaser trailer for the Karate Kid sequel series, named after the infamous karate dojo.

“I just don’t know why you’d ever want to bring back Cobra Kai,” Ralph Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso tells his former high school bully, William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence.

It’s been nearly 34 years since moviegoers saw these two face off at the All Valley Karate Tournament in 1984’s The Karate Kid. They met again on screen two years later with The Karate Kid Part II, and now Johnny is seeking redemption.

With Johnny’s life taking a turn for the worse, the first Cobra Kai teaser sees flashes of him reopening his old dojo stomping grounds. That doesn’t sit well with Daniel, who has since been leading a picture-perfect life as a family man and successful car dealer.

“We are not trained to be merciful here. Mercy is for the weak,” Johnny tells his new pupils in the video. So, maybe he hasn’t really learned his lesson.

Cobra Kai will see Xolo Maridueña (Parenthood) as Miguel Diaz, a victim of high school bullies who’s taken under Johnny’s wing; Tanner Buchanan (Designated Survivor) as Johnny’s son, Robby Keene, who’s determined to prove himself to be nothing like his father; and guest-star Ed Asner as Johnny’s old-school stepfather, Sid Weinberg.

Courtney Henggeler (Mom) will play Daniel’s wife and business partner, Amanda, while Mary Mouser (Freakish) plays their firecracker daughter, Samantha.

Josh Heald (Hot Tub Time Machine) wrote this new story for Cobra Kai with Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg (Harold & Kumar). All three will executive produce the series with Susan Ekins, Will Smith, James Lassiter, and Caleeb Pinkett.

Hurwitz and Schlossberg will also direct much of Cobra Kai, which will debut later this year on YouTube Red.

Watch the first teaser trailer above.