We’re real suckers for pop culture reunions, whether they take the form of a killer doll (Chucky), over the hill men dancing and stripping to help save their community (the upcoming Full Monty continuation series), or a serial killer with a heart of gold (the ill-advised and very “woke” revival of Dexter). Heck, we’re still licking our wounds and lamenting that Thirtysomething reunion that never made it past the pilot stage (Oh, cruel fates!). Of course, one of the shows that really helped kick off the newly popular fad of bringing back beloved characters from fan-favorite TV series and films is the always awesome Netflix karate-fest known as Cobra Kai. In four memorable seasons, this love letter to the original 1984 film The Karate Kid has reunited us with many of our favorite characters that appeared throughout the first three chapters in that film franchise (with rumors of Hilary Swank – one of the stars of the fourth movie in the saga – possibly making an appearance in the next season): Daniel LaRusso, Johnny Lawrence, Ali Mills, John Kreese, Lucille LaRusso, Bobby Brown, Jimmy, Tommy, Kumiko, Chozen Toguchi, Yuna and Terry Silver are all returning characters in what Cobra Kai creators refer to as the Miyagi-Verse. Heck, even the late Pat Morita (Mr. Miyagi himself) has been present and accounted for in spirit. With that impressive list of returning actors and characters to the series, one might be forgiven for believing that almost everyone has been present and accounted for over the last four seasons of the hit show. But you would be mistaken…
One of the original bad boys of karate dojo Cobra Kai from the ’84 hit movie and it’s 1986 sequel – bleach blond bad-ass “Dutch” played by Chad McQueen, son of the legendary Steve McQueen – has yet to kick his way onto the Cobra Kai scene, leaving many longtime Karate Kid fans justifiably wondering what’s up with the MIA star.
According to our newfound buddies over at Heavy.com, it turns out that the olive branch to appear on the series was in fact extended by one of Cobra Kai’s chief architects Josh Heald who revealed in 2019 that “Schedules were such that it wasn’t feasible for him to join us this time around, but we certainly mentioned his character being alive and in a very particular place on purpose. We could perhaps visit that story at another time.”
But not so fast all of you Cobra-Heads out there: What about Chad McQueen himself, what says he about the prospect of returning to the role of Dutch? McQueen himself has pretty much retired from the world of acting, choosing to devote much of his time to a sport his father was particularly fond of – race car driving. But could one of the premiere cinematic bullies of the 1980s really turn down an opportunity to perhaps join up with arch-villain Terry Silver in an attempt to take down onetime high school punching bag Daniel LaRusso; According to his daughter in a social media post…Probably.
“We appreciate every single one of you die hard Cobra Kai fans! We read and love all of your kind words. Dutch will not be making an appearance in the Netflix series,” McQueen’s daughter Madison said, dismissing the idea outright of any sort of a future reunion.
So there you have it, Dear and Constant Reader. Along with the above pretty definitive rejection of the offer to appear on Cobra Kai, Martin Kove – Sensei John Kreese to you and I – has also met resistance from McQueen in appearing in the hit show after the actor approached him about such a thing. Ditto one of the show’s stars, William “Johnny Lawrence” Zabka, another old friend that McQueen turned down when invited aboard.
We’ll keep snooping around regarding the Dutch embargo from Cobra Kai and report on any and all updates as they make themselves known to us! In the meantime, never give up dreaming. After all, anything is possible as four brilliant seasons of Cobra Kai have taught us.
