A newly released poster for director Simon McQuoid's upcoming video game adaptation, Mortal Kombat, brings the core cast together for battle, and may hint at new character Cole Young's true origin. The poster was shared by Mortal Kombat producer Todd Garner on social media, and features a slew of beloved characters from the popular franchise including Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada), Kung-Lao (Max Huang), Kano (Josh Lawson), Shang-Tsung (Chin Han), Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Mileena (Sisi Stringer), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Jax (Mechad Brooks), Raiden (Tandanobu Asano), and new lead character Cole Young (Lewis Tan), with each one looking ready for the fight that awaits them.

Cole Young in particular stands out, with the poster giving us our first good look at his costume and choice of weapon, a tonfa. Many have wondered whether Cole will be revealed to have a link to established Mortal Kombat lore, with some theorizing that his mysterious origins will have ties to either Scorpion or Sub-Zero. The use of a tonfa now has some believing that Cole will be connected with The Edenians, a humanoid race from another dimension, with the weapon reminiscent of Mortal Kombat character, Tanya, who was herself an Edenian.

Actor Lewis Tan, who plays Cole Young, recently offered some interesting insight into the controversial new character, suggesting that he may have links to the wider fantastical elements of the franchise and just not know it yet. "Mortal Kombat is interesting because it's a fantasy. There's a lot of fantasy elements to it, but my character is a really solid perspective throughout the picture so it's nice to be involved in this fantasy world but get to play a really grounded point... I think it's a really interesting way to show audiences that don't know the game a new perspective," Tan revealed.

Mortal Kombat's ensemble cast will be led by new character, Cole Young, a man who is accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of the importance of his heritage, and becomes suspicious when Outworld's Emperor Shang Tsung sends his best warrior, Sub-Zero, to hunt him down. Fearing for his family's safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth's greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe.

To the delight of Mortal Kombat fans everywhere, the upcoming reboot was recently given an official R-rating for "strong bloody violence and language throughout, and some crude references." Whether this will be enough to fully realise the fan-favorite fatalities remains to be seen. Mortal Kombat is scheduled to be released in theaters and on the HBO Max streaming service by Warner Bros. Pictures on April 16, 2021. This comes to us courtesy of Todd Garner's official Twitter account.