The creators of Cobra Kai recently revealed why Hilary Swank turned down an offer to appear in the hit Netflix series.
Fans were hoping that the Oscar-winning actress would reprise the role of Julie Pierce in the final season of Cobra Kai. Unfortunately, it did not happen, and the hit series wrapped without the appearance of Mr. Miyagi's other student.
Why Did Hilary Swank Decline to Appear in Cobra Kai?
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cobra Kai creators Josh Heald, Jon Huwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg revealed that they reached out to Swank while preparing for the sixth season.
"We did reach out in the very early days before the season to see if there was a path [for her to appear]. 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," Heald explained.
"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."
However, Swank was not interested in talking with the creators as she wasn't open to playing Julie Pierce again at that time.
"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 said.
"She was just in a place where she wasn't looking to do that. 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."
The Cobra Kai co-creator continued, "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."
Is There Hope for Hilary Swank to Appear Again in the Miyagi-verse?
There is still room for Swank to reprise the role of Julie Pierce someday since the creators have more plans to expand the Miyagi-verse.
They are already working on ideas for a Cobra Kai spinoff series, which could be an avenue for Swank to return if she chooses to do so.
"It's a big piece of the Miyagi-verse that's still out there. 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," Heald said.
So far, the plans for the spinoff show are still under wraps as it is still at the earliest stage of conception.
What do you think of Swank's absence in Cobra Kai? Let us know in the comments.
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