Cobra Kai became a cultural phenomenon and did the impossible by reviving a decades-old franchise. It brought nostalgia and fresh storytelling, pulling in both old and new fans, and the show’s ability to weave backstories was one of the key factors behind its success.
For example, John Kreese’s past is brought to life by Barrett Carnahan, who did a great job at playing a young version of the infamous sensei. But did you know that the actor was almost cast for a completely different role?
Barrett Carnahan’s unexpected journey from Brucks to Kreese
One of the standout aspects of Cobra Kai’s third season was Barrett Carnahan’s role as young John Kreese. His backstory offered a glimpse into the origins of one of the most notorious antagonists of the franchise. But Carnahan’s path to landing the role wasn’t direct, and he revealed the same in an interview with CBR.
I had actually auditioned for the show twice before. I had gone up for the role of Kyler and I had gone up for the role of Brucks all the way back in Season 1.
The casting process [for Season 3] was kind of funny because, when I got the sides, I went, ‘These are faulty sides, right? There’s no way that any of these characters are going off to war!
Interestingly, Carnahan didn’t even know that he was selected for the role of young Kreese until later in the process, and he exclaimed, “It wasn’t until far along in the casting process that I was told it was young Kreese. It was a trip!“
He believed that he was about to play some side character from high school, but Cobra Kai’s casting directors made the right call, as the actor’s emotionally charged performance was a perfect fit for Kreese. Bo Mitchell ended up playing Brucks, and he also did complete justice to the character.
The impact of Barrett Carnahan’s John Kreese on Cobra Kai
Barrett Carnahan’s portrayal of young John Kreese didn’t just fill in the blanks about a character but elevated the whole narrative. It humanized Kreese and added more layers to the show’s central conflict. In The Karate Kid movies, we saw Kreese engaging in foul play, turning on his student, and trying to sabotage Mr. Miyagi and Daniel LaRusso.
But now, we had more context about where his cynical nature of violence came from, and we knew more about his ideology and trauma. Carnahan did an excellent job at bridging this gap and helping us understand why Kreese became the manipulative and ruthless sensei we know today.
His struggles and vulnerability during the Vietnam War were in stark contrast with Martin Kove’s present version of the character. This duality made Kreese a more complex figure and enriched Cobra Kai’s storytelling, leaving us eager to know where things will go next.
You can watch Cobra Kai on Netflix.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
