Mortal Kombat has been a popular video game since 1992, when it was created by Midway Games. In the late '90s, Hollywood adapted the franchise into a series of movies. The first installment, Mortal Kombat, was released in 1995, followed by its sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, in 1997. While the first movie did well, the second film made studio executives decide against making other sequels.
Updated: July 15, 2023: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated with additional content by Evan Lewis.
Then, in 2021, audiences were treated to a reboot of the original Mortal Kombat film, which was an enormous success. In fact, it was so successful that New Line Cinema executives almost immediately greenlit a sequel. This new film is currently in production and promises to be everything that fans wanted from past movies. New characters will be added, more lore will be explored, and the world of Mortal Kombat will get bigger. With that, here's everything we know about Mortal Kombat 2 so far!
Mortal Kombat 2: The Plot
Simon McQuoid, who directed the previous Mortal Kombat, will return as director. Jeremy Slater, whose previous credits include Moon Knight and The Umbrella Academy under his belt, is writing the movie's screenplay. In an interview with The Direct, Slater said this about the script:
"I’m working really closely with the director and the studios, and the game guys, and I think — I can’t say anything about the actual story, but I think they definitely learned some lessons the last time around in terms of, ‘Here’s the stuff fans responded to, and here’s what people liked out of the movie, and here’s the stuff that didn’t work out as well as we hoped.' So we’re really looking at this as a chance to take everything that worked in the first one and do it even better and give the audience even more, and make something that is just incredibly satisfying, and really exciting, and unpredictable."
While many fans were upset that Johnny Cage was not in the first movie, the arrogant fighting champion will be in the sequel. Writer Jeremy Slater said in an interview with ComicBook that he would include Johnny in the sequel:
"Johnny Cage is one of my favorite characters, and I think there's definitely a promise with the way the first movie ends of seeing Cole being like, 'Okay, my next stop is to go recruit Johnny.' So I think if he wasn't included in the sequel at all, it would feel very strange."
Mortal Kombat 2: Confirmed Cast & Characters
The much hyped-up character of Johnny Cage will be played by none other than Karl Urban. Urban is now most famous for his role as Billy the Butcher on the hit Amazon series, The Boys, but is also been in various blockbuster franchises, including Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, and Dredd.
Cole Young (Lewis Tan), the offspring of Scorpion, is confirmed to return. It has been confirmed that Major Jackson 'Jax' Briggs (Mehcad Brooks), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), and Shang Tsung (Chin Han) will return for the second installment. Hiroyuki Sanada will also return as Scorpion. Joe Taslim will return, but it is unclear if it will be Sub-Zero or another fan-favorite character.
We also now know that Adeline Rudolph will be taking the mantle of Kitana. Rudolph has experience with video game adaptations, playing a part in Netflix's since-canceled Resident Evil series, and is also famous for her work on Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Tati Gabrielle (Uncharted) has reportedly been selected for the part of Jade.
Other characters that have been officially cast include Ana Thu Nguyen (Get Free) as Queen Sindel of Edenia and mother to Kitana. Desmond Chaim is King Jerrod, a minor character from the video games. Damon Herriman is now Quan Chi; the actor is most known for his role as serial killer Charles Manson in Once Upon Time in Hollywood. Baraka is a character who has been confirmed to be included, but no word has been let out as to who will be playing him.
In the lead villain role of Shao Khan, bodybuilder Martyn Ford has been cast. Ford's acting experience includes roles in F9: The Fast Saga, The Sandman, and most recently, the action-comedy, The Machine. Fan favorite Baraka is a character who has been confirmed to be included, but no word has been left out as to who will be playing him.
Who Could Join the Sequel?
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Other characters on the fans' wishlist are Nightwolf, Sheeva, Kotal Kahn, and Shinnok. The first Mortal Kombat had the perfect setup for Sheeva to appear in the sequel since Cole killed Goro in the first film. But, there is no reason the sequel needs to have Shinnok since Shang Tsung will again fill the role of villain. However, it would be frosting on the cake. Creators also hinted at Kitana appearing in the sequel via a pair of fans showing up at the end of the first movie.
With Joe Taslim returning, it raises an interesting question. He played Sub-Zero in the first film and was killed off. For those unfamiliar with the video game canon, Sub-Zero transformed into the deadly shadow Noob Saibot after being defeated by Scorpion. While it is unconfirmed if Taslim will play Noob Saibot or return as Sub-Zero, both are exciting possibilities.
Release Date
Fans were originally hoping for Mortal Kombat 2 to be released in 2023, but that did not happen. Production was set to begin soon, but due to the recent SAG-AFTRA Actors' strike, the film will likely not be released anytime soon as no actor is allowed to continue the film. Production on the film has already shut down and will not continue until the strike is resolved.
Even if the strike resolves and production were to begin shortly after, it is unlikely the movie would be ready for release in 2024. 2025 could be the earliest the film is ready for release, and even then, it is unsure if Warner Bros. Discovery will give it a spring release date like its predecessor or try it as a summer blockbuster.