Why One Big Karate Kid Actor May Be Heading To Cobra Kai

Cobra Kai has had an impressive streak in its first three seasons of pulling in characters from The Karate Kid franchise, so it should come as no surprise that streak could continue in Season 4 and beyond. It sounds like another major actor from The Karate Kid franchise could be coming soon, as actor Sean Kanan lightly suggested there's a future for his character in the show.

Sean Kanan played Mike Barnes in The Karate Kid III, who terrorized Daniel LaRusso on behalf of John Kreese and Terry Silver. Barnes was one of Daniel's most fearsome and skilled opponents, and according to a recent chat the actor had with FanRoom Live, Barnes could come to Cobra Kai to wreak havoc once more.

I've spoken with the producers multiple times so, all I can say is we saw a little clip of Mike Barnes in Season 3, and if I had to say, I don't think that we've seen the last of him. We shall see.

Sean Kanan was pressed on whether that would mean Mike Barnes would appear in Season 4 of Cobra Kai, to which the actor clarified he never said that. With that said, Season 3 ended with John Kreese on the phone with an old friend while looking at an old photo from his days in Vietnam, so the popular theory is he was on the phone with Terry Silver.

If Terry Silver and John Kreese are teaming up in Season 4, then it only seems right that Mike Barnes's appearance wouldn't be too far off in the future. Sean Kanan talked a bit more about the possibility of his character appearing and shared some insight on how the executive producers are tackling bringing former talent from The Karate Kid into Cobra Kai.

Here's the thing. The producers are fans of the original films. I think they want to work in as many of the characters as they can, but they want it to be organic.

As previously mentioned, re-introducing Terry Silver does present an organic path for Sean Kanan's Mike Barnes to return, though no guarantees he'll be along for the ride. I should also note that it's not uncommon for Cobra Kai's staff to have discussions with actors or discussions about actors reprising their roles, so there's no guarantee he's on board with any concrete story just yet. I can personally say seeing Barnes back in action would be a treat, though, and I've often wondered how Johnny Lawrence would've handled Barnes back in the day.

Cobra Kai Season 4 has been confirmed, though we have no idea when it will arrive on Netflix. Do you think Mike Barnes coming to Cobra Kai would be a big deal? Let us know in the poll below, and for more on the series, check out what actress Mary Mouser said is the worst part of playing a LaRusso.

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Mick Joest
Content Producer

Mick Joest is a Content Producer for CinemaBlend with his hand in an eclectic mix of television goodness. Star Trek is his main jam, but he also regularly reports on happenings in the world of Star Trek, WWE, Doctor Who, 90 Day Fiancé, Quantum Leap, and Big Brother. He graduated from the University of Southern Indiana with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Radio and Television. He's great at hosting panels and appearing on podcasts if given the chance as well.