JuicyTalk
Cobra Kai co-creator Hayden Schlossberg has discussed why the show decided against a particular cameo, despite it being credited with the show’s existence. Cobra Kai took off as a revival and pseudo-reimagining after the events of the Karate Kid film series, told from the perspective of Johnny Lawrence, instead of Daniel LaRusso. The show evolved to become much more than the sum of its parts, and sprawled six seasons, 65 episodes, and an ever-growing ensemble cast. Many actors made cameos in Cobra Kai, but there was one notable omission who many fans were hoping would appear.
Taking to his McScholssberg X account for a Q&A session with fans, Schlossberg addressed why How I Met Your Mother star Neil Patrick Harris never cameoed on the hit martial arts comedy-drama, despite his character Barney Stinson being credited as inspiring the germination of what would become Cobra Kai in an episode of How I Met Your Mother. When asked whether there was any consideration of a Harris cameo, Schlossberg revealed that there wasn’t, claiming this would have taken viewers out of the story. Check out his comment below:
No that would have taken us out of the story
Choosing Not To Cast Him Was Probably The Right Decision
One of the key factors that is believed to have influenced the development of Cobra Kai was the How I Met Your Mother episode “The Bro Mitzvah,” which featured guest appearances from both Ralph Macchio and William Zabka. In the episode, Harris’ character Barney proclaims Johnny to be the true hero of the Karate Kid, instead of Daniel, berating Daniel for being a cheat and a bully. This could be considered the moment the idea for Cobra Kai was born, and prompted many to call for a Harris cameo in series.
Cobra Kai had to move away from The Karate Kid to evolve as its own show, so shackling it to How I Met Your Mother would also not have made sense narratively.
However, Schlossberg’s comments do make a degree of sense, and, though Harris could well have cameoed in a small role in an episode of the show, there is the chance that this meta nod to How I Met Your Mother would have detracted from the magic of Cobra Kai, and taken viewers out of the show. What’s more, Cobra Kai became its own show, elevating and enhancing the IP on which it was based, and the writers would not have wanted to detract from that.
Our Verdict On The Decision Not To Include A Harris Cameo
The Show Became Its Own Pop Culture Phenomenon
While a Harris cameo would undoubtedly have gone down well with viewers before Cobra Kai came to an end, it would always have felt like it was a Barney Stinson cameo, and this would have hurt the show moving forward. Cobra Kai had to move away from The Karate Kid to evolve as its own show, so shackling it to How I Met Your Mother would also not have made sense narratively. Overall, it was the correct decision not to have Harris appear.
Source: McSchlossberg/X
