Cobra Kai Season 3 Showrunner Explains Aisha’s Absence

Forum 3 years ago

Cobra Kai Season 3 Showrunner Explains Aisha’s Absence

Cobra Kai’s showrunners, Josh Heald and Jon Hurwitz, explain why Aisha (Nichole Brown) will be missing from season 3 of the popular series.

The showrunners of Cobra Kai season 3 explain why Aisha Robinson won’t be in season 3. Based on The Karate Kid movie franchise, the Netflix series takes place 34 years after the events of the original Karate Kid. It has earned praise for its reexamination of the film’s central narrative, focusing on Johnny Lawrence (William Zabka) as he rekindles his old rivalry with Daniel LaRusso (Ralph Macchio).

One of the characters created for Cobra Kai, Aisha was portrayed in the first two seasons by Nichole Brown. The performance caught on with viewers, particularly since Aisha was one of the few characters who was on friendly terms with the show’s competing protagonists. However, back in September 2019, Brown announced via Instagram that she wouldn’t be a part of season 3. The actress noted that it wasn’t her decision to leave the series, explaining that she was told there were no storylines for her character. In new remarks, Cobra Kai’s executive producers and co-showrunners are shedding light on the decision to move forward without Aisha.

Speaking with TV Line, Jon Hurwitz and Josh Heald shed some light on why Aisha will be missing from Cobra Kai season 3. Promising that the character’s absence will be acknowledged in the premiere episode, the duo expressed their appreciation for Brown and pointed out that she could easily return in future seasons. You can read Hurwitz’s comments below.

“We love Aisha and we love Nichole Brown. Certain characters we loved in Season 1 didn’t appear at all in Season 2, like Kyler, Yasmine and Louie. Before the season, we told Nichole the same thing we told those actors: That just because a character doesn’t appear for a period of time doesn’t mean they’ve left the universe, that they can’t return again. We love that character, and perhaps we’ll see her again one day.”

Heald echoed Hurwitz’s sentiments, explaining that certain characters have to make a temporary exit so that their reappearance could be more impactful. In the case of the characters mentioned in Hurwitz’s quote, they all played a part in the show’s beginnings. Kyler was the main antagonist in Cobra Kai season 1. Even though he doesn’t show up in the dramedy’s sophomore outing , he is confirmed to return for season 3. The same is true for fellow antagonist Yasmine and the impulsive Louie, both of whom are back for the upcoming season. This bodes well for Brown, as the series has displayed a level of comfort with returning to familiar faces as the plot requires.

Given how much of a fan favorite Aisha has become, it’s likely that Cobra Kai will find room for her as it moves forward. For the moment, it could easily be explained that the character is no longer part of the dojo, particularly as the second season appears to hint at this fact. It could easily be explained that she disagreed with the direction of Johnny’s dojo, leaving her with space to be welcomed into the fold at a later point. Still, her presence will be missed by many fans. Hopefully, given that audiences have grown fond of the character she portrayed, Aisha will have a memorable reemergence sooner rather than later.