What Happened to Jaden Smith’s Character Dre Parker After 2010’s The Karate Kid?
The 2010 Karate Kid reboot, starring Jaden Smith as Dre Parker, was a fresh take on the classic franchise. However, since the movie’s release, there has been no mention of Dre’s character in the franchise. The latest installment, Karate Kid: Legends, does not provide any clues about Dre’s fate, and it appears that Mr. Han, played by Jackie Chan, has moved on to a new student, Li Fong.
The trailer for Karate Kid: Legends shows Mr. Han approaching Daniel LaRusso, played by Ralph Macchio, to help train Li Fong, drawing parallels between the two students. However, Mr. Han makes no mention of Dre, suggesting that the character may not be a part of the story.
The franchise has moved on, with Cobra Kai, a YouTube Red series, exploring the characters and storylines of the original Karate Kid movies. However, Dre’s character has not been mentioned or referenced in any of the shows or movies.
Jaden Smith has not been seen or mentioned in the franchise since the 2010 movie, and it is unclear if he would be interested in reprising his role. The biggest hurdle to his return is the fact that Smith has not appeared in a live-action role outside of a music video since 2020’s Life in a Year.
The Karate Kid: Legends trailer does not provide any hints about Dre’s fate, leaving fans wondering what happened to the character after the events of the 2010 movie.