‘Cobra Kai’ Reached Out to Oscar Winner to Join Show—Here’s What Happened

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It’s a testament to the fondness so many people had for the “Karate Kid” franchise and its characters that so many actors were willing to make an appearance on the series “Cobra Kai.” While seeing Ralph Macchio and David Zabka reprise their roles as Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence was expected, there was also curiosity about who else would show up.

Fans were thrilled when Oscar-nominated actress Elisabeth Shue showed up with both of her former love interests in Season 3, and Martin Kove turned up as John Kreese, former Cobra Kai Dojo sensei. Randee Heller, who played Daniel’s mother, Lucille LaRusso, in the 1984 film, had a recurring role throughout the series, as did many others.

But one notable absence was Hilary Swank. Swank starred in “The Next Karate Kid” in 1994, five years before she won her first Oscar. Co-creator Josh Heald is revealing that they reached out to her team to set up a meeting and talk about her possible appearance.

‘Next Karate Kid’s’ Hilary Swank Turned Down Chance to Return to Cobra Kai

“We did reach out in the very early days before the season [six] to see if there was a path [for her to appear],” Heald told Entertainment Weekly. “We had an inkling of an idea about how she could come into this story and not have to commit to 10 episodes or something. It was going to feel like it could be a one- or two-episode arc, similar to what we did with Elisabeth Shue, where you can bring Ali back in at a pivotal moment and affect an important relationship.”

Heald claimed that he and co-creators Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg had “the beginnings of a genesis of an idea” for how Swank’s Julie Pierce could return. They reached out to her management “to find out if we could have a discussion with her about it and introduce ourselves,” he said.

Unfortunately, Swank told them no, and the meeting never happened.

Potential Hilary Swank Cameo Still ‘Out There,’ Says Showrunner

“She was just in a place where she wasn’t looking to do that,” Heald said. “She had had babies. I think she was in production on something at the time, and it was a respectful pass on even the idea of a meeting. She didn’t want us to go through the trouble of flying out to her and putting our heart on the sleeve because it just wasn’t something she was ready to do at that moment.”

“On her end, it was very respectful, but we never got that opportunity to sit down and pour our heart out the way that we typically do when we bring back characters from the legacy,” Heald explained.

While it may seem like, with “Cobra Kai” finished, that ship has sailed. But Heald isn’t giving up hope for a future appearance by Swank. After all, Heald, Hurwitz, and Schlossberg have a “Cobra Kai’ spinoff in the works.

“It’s a big piece of the Miyagi-verse that’s still out there,” says Heald. “For us, it was a little disappointing because we like getting everybody, but at the same time, we didn’t sacrifice any huge story that we had fully developed. It’s more fruit on the vine for if we can revisit this universe going forward.”