Adding a brand-new character, Cole Young, to the roster for the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie is nothing if not controversial, with fans questioning why this was decided when there are so many already existing characters to choose from. Well, producer Todd Garner has attempted to answer this question without giving too much away, hinting that there is a lot more to Cole Young than meets the eye.

"Wish I could answer that question. I'll be able to answer it after you see the movie. You'll see. Beyond what I told you, I can't tell you anymore. If you just scroll down my Twitter feel, Cole Young is Johnny Cage; he's not Johnny Cage. He's Scorpion; he's not Scorpion. He's Sub-Zero; he's not Sub-Zero. He's this character; he's Tanaka; he's Baraka. He's one of those things, probably. At the end of it, you'll either go, "Oh, I see. That's why they did it." Where I get killed, because my question is half-answered, and I'm being honest with you - my half answer is he's the narrator, and he's the eyes into the movie. Instantaneously, you can come up with 12 other characters in the Mortal Kombat universe that could accomplish that task. That's only half of it. The other half, I can't tell you."

Since the reveal that Cole Young would lead the movie, fans have offered all manner of theories as to who he really is. Garner debunks several of these, including the idea that Cole is tied to Scorpion and Sub-Zero, but his answer here certainly suggests that Cole will turn out to have importance. Importance that will be familiar to fans of the Mortal Kombat franchise.

While Cole Young continues to remain a mystery, we do know that he will begin as a washed-up MMA fighter, who is unaware of his hidden lineage or why he is being hunted down by Sub-Zero of the Lin-Kuei clan of assassins. Concerned for the safety of his family, he seeks out a clique of fighters who were chosen to defend Earthrealm in a high-stakes battle against the forces of Outworld.

Actor Lewis Tan, who plays Cole Young in Mortal Kombat, recently discussed his approach to the character, and hinted as well that Cole may have links to the wider fantastical elements of the franchise. "Mortal Kombat is interesting because it's a fantasy," he said. "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." So, it's starting to sound very, very likely that Cole Young will have links to a familiar element of Mortal Kombat mythology, and that the character will slowly discover this link along with the audience.

Though we are still none the wiser as to how Cole Young factors into proceedings, it could well prove to be a crowd-pleasing reveal. Until then, let the speculation continue. 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 Screenrant.