'Cobra Kai' spinoff: EP wants to expand universe in possible new project

Co-showrunner and executive producer Hayden Schlossberg is looking to expand the "Cobra Kai" universe through what he teased could be a possible spinoff story.

Schlossberg said that while there is already an "endgame" for "Cobra Kai," it does not mean they cannot expand the storytelling. He shared that he looks at one of his favourite shows, "Breaking Bad," for inspiration in crafting a good story for the spinoff.

"Our hope is that we can really expand this whole Karate Kid universe and reinvigorate the fanbase, so that it's a story we can continue telling," Schlossberg told TVLine adding, "We do have an endgame for 'Cobra Kai,' but we always compare it to our other favourite show, 'Breaking Bad,' they're able to keep the story going with 'Better Call Saul' and 'El Camino'."

Schlossberg said there is still a lot of stories to tell especially when it comes to the characters. He cited John Kreese's backstory in season 3, which he thought needed more exploration. He said that 30 minutes in an episode is apparently not enough to flesh out one's story.

"We could've spent more time with Kreese's backstory. We have so many things to tell in these half-hour episodes, it ends up not being enough," he explained adding, "We're just having a fun time as friends getting to work in the sandbox of 'The Karate Kid' and hope to keep it going."

"If you look at our careers, we've always had sequels. We fall in love with our characters. Every permutation of spinoff or deep-dive crosses our minds," he continued.

But Schlossberg is also wary of how they will present the "Cobra Kai" spinoff. He said it "has to be the same level of quality" as the Netflix series. It has "to be the right thing." To do this, they have to go back to what inspired the show in the first place, which is the classic "The Karate Kid" film.

"Our minds are always thinking 'Karate Kid,' so that possibility is definitely out there," he said.

In the meantime, fans can binge-watch Seasons 1 to 3 of "Cobra Kai" on Netflix as they await further details on the spinoff. The streaming giant renewed the series for season 4 and pre-production is already "full steam ahead" with episodes written and the story figured out.