The Disney Channel Comedy You Likely Didn't Know Starred Two Cobra Kai Stars

With four seasons out so far, the Netflix Original "Cobra Kai" (initially on YouTube Red) has been dominating pop culture for the past few years. The show is a sequel of sorts to the original "The Karate Kid" trilogy from the '80s, set more than three decades in the future. "Cobra Kai" stars William Zabka and Ralph Macchio reprising their roles as Johnny Lawrence and Daniel LaRusso, respectively, to tell the tale of the two characters as adults as they reignite their rivalry. 

Alongside Zabka and Macchio, as well as quite a few other familiar faces from the original films, "Cobra Kai" focuses on an extremely talented young group of actors, featuring Mary Mouser as Samantha LaRusso, Tanner Buchanan as Robby Keene, and Xolo Maridueña as Miguel Diaz, rounding out the Season 1 main cast. But as the seasons go on, new characters are continuously added and become very important to the story, and many of them are probably played by young actors you've seen on screen before. 

This is likely the case with two cast members who play teenagers who train at the Cobra Kai Dojo and are negatively influenced by the intense ideals taught there by John Kreese (Martin Kove). In fact, they both starred in a Disney Channel original movie in 2016 called "The Swap" before coming to "Cobra Kai."

Both Peyton List and Jacob Bertrand are main cast members of "Cobra Kai" in Season 4. Bertrand, who plays Eli "Hawk" Moskowitz, was only recurring in Season 1 before he joined the main cast, while List, who plays Tory Nichols, was introduced in Season 2 as a recurring character and just got promoted for the most recent season. Both Hawk and Tory are central characters in the current "Cobra Kai" storyline, adding tension and action whenever needed. 

Surprisingly, the two actors actually worked together years ago in the Disney Channel original movie "The Swap." Based on the book of the same name by Megan Shull, "The Swap" stars List as Ellie O'Brien and Bertrand as Jack Malloy, two high schoolers facing hardship in their lives. Both have recently lost a parent and are getting bullied, but after they end up in the nurse's office together, they start arguing and claiming their gender has it worse off than the other. Well, as you could probably guess, the two magically switch bodies after texting each other, and upcoming deadlines lead them to panic about finding a way to switch back quickly. 

While the movie might be predictable or cliché for some, "The Swap" is quite an endearing story about loss, understanding, and empathy, and List and Bertrand definitely showcase the acting talent that would eventually land them in "Cobra Kai" together. If you like teen movies and already finished bingeing the new season of "Cobra Kai," you might want to give "The Swap" a watch.