Does The Next Karate Kid Star Hilary Swank Appear In Cobra Kai?

"Cobra Kai" spoilers follow.

While the movie was blasted by critics at the time of its release, there's an argument to be made that "The Next Karate Kid" deserves more respect than it gets. After all, it gives us more insights into the life of Mr. Miyagi (Pat Morita), features a group of truly despicable villains, and boasts all of the sentiments we want from a "Karate Kid" flick. More than anything, it's led by an awesome protagonist in the form of Julie Pierce (Hilary Swank) — a character many fans would like to see given a new lease of life on "Cobra Kai," even though her original movie outing is polarizing.

Ralph Macchio didn't return for "The Next Karate Kid," ultimately robbing fans of the opportunity to see his Daniel LaRusso character team up with Julie. Unfortunately, "Cobra Kai" season 6 also fails to make that dream come true, as she doesn't show up in the Netflix series' final season.

What's more, it seems that there was interest from the show's creators and Swank to make it happen, but the opportunity didn't present itself. Keeping that in mind, let's find out why Julie Pierce didn't get to throw down one last time.

"Cobra Kai" season 6 sneakily killed off a minor "Karate Kid Part III" villain, further emphasizing that the series is a love letter to the franchise. The show's ability to blend in stars from the past with a new generation of karate enthusiasts is one of its greatest strengths, so it's understandable why some fans wanted to see Hilary Swank get the call. However, she told Collider to let go of any hope of seeing her in Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg's Netflix series, implying that there hadn't been any contact between the relevant parties:

"I don't think I am, unfortunately. It's, like, the number one question I get right now. Most people usually say, 'What's it like working with Clint Eastwood?' But I think, 'Are you going to be on Cobra Kai has almost surpassed that?'"

Despite not appearing on "Cobra Kai," the show's creators claimed that they're fans of Swank, and anyone from the franchise's past is worthy of consideration. That said, with "Karate Kid: Legends" set to combine the Ralph Macchio and Jackie Chan sagas, and a Mr. Miyagi spin-off series potentially in the works, it seems that the "Karate Kid" universe is expanding. As such, there might be some opportunities to bring back Julie Pierce down the line.