Cobra Kai Stars Praise Top Gun: Maverick, Thank Tom Cruise

These days, reboots and legacy sequels are quite common as television series and movies get revived with members of the original cast alongside a new generation. From shows like Saved by the Bell to movies such as Jurassic World: Dominion, there’s no shortage of entertainment nostalgia out there. One of the most beloved follow-ups is Cobra Kai, the Netflix series that serves as a sequel to The Karate Kid. The show’s stars, Ralph Macchio and William Zabka, recently had a chat with ComicBook.com‘s Chris Killian and were asked about their favorite legacy sequels, and Macchio had nothing but praise for Top Gun: Maverick. 

“I would have to say, since it’s so fresh, and I think they did everything right, I think the Top Gun sequel was really, really hit on all cylinders. It was just a perfect way to have a younger cast and handed down, and then the filmmaking and everything involved with that… They did everything right, I think. You know, every single frame just handled… this is a big Hollywood blockbusterwith every stoned turned perfectly.”

“I agree with that,” Zabka added. “I have to piggyback on that one. I saw that in the theaters, I remember how I felt in the theaters at that time, and I honestly just wanted to thank Tom for that movie. I was like, ‘Thank you for that movie.’” 

In June, Top Gun: Maverick passed $1 billion at the worldwide box office and quickly became Paramount’s biggest movie of all time. The movie has managed to outperform some heavy-hitters, including The Avengers and Titanic, and it recently managed to top Avengers: Infinity War at the domestic box office. The movie is currently up on Rotten Tomatoes with an impressive 96% critics score and 99% audience score. ComicBook.com‘s Spencer Perry gave the movie a 4.5 out of 5 and called it a “rare sequel that outdoes the original in every way.”

As for Cobra Kai, Macchio just teased a potential “Karate Kid Cinematic Universe.”

“The thing that’s been created, there’s kind of this Karate Kid Cinematic Universe now where Cobra Kai is, you know, at the center of that and when that day does come in for a landing, there are other areas to draw from,” Macchio teased. “I mean, whether it’s … Is there a Miyagi origin story? Is there a Cobra Kai prequel before The Karate Kid? Is there spin-offs with some of the young cast of these characters? Who knows? But we’re not done as long as we’re given the opportunity to really bring it in. As long as it evolves organically, these guys that write the show really have their finger on the pulse of that.” 

Cobra Kai Season 5 is set to debut on Netflix on September 9th. Top Gun: Maverick is coming to 4K UHD, Blu-Ray, and DVD on November 1st.