Movies based on video games have frequently attracted negative attention. The Mortal Kombat movie from 2021 is also no different. However, it still scored a respectable 54% on Rotten Tomatoes, which is decent for a video game movie.
One of the many topics we will discuss today is how the movie seriously missed some important marks. But American screenwriter Jeremy Slater has claimed that he is working to fix all of the problems with the first movie for Mortal Kombat 2, and so far, it seems to be incredibly entertaining and fantastic.
This gives us optimism because we are looking forward to a frustrating Mortal Kombat match between the Outworld and Earthrealm champions.
In this video, we will discuss the franchise’s idea, its prior films, and what to expect from the sequel.
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Mortal Kombat: Franchise
The Mortal Kombat video games inspire the film’s plotlines. It has a science-fantasy concept and is well known for its action and extreme levels of violence, particularly because the players actually die when brought down rather than being knocked out.
Mortal Kombat is set in a universe where eighteen realms have survived. These realms were created by the Elder Gods, who are the ancient Gods according to the lore of the franchise. One of those realms is the Earthrealm, which is home to some of the franchise’s greatest heroes, namely, Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, Kung Lao, Jax Briggs, and of course, Johnny Cage. Raiden, a Thunder God, also protects the realm.
On the other hand, there is the Outworld, a realm that is plagued by problems and strife. These are the two realms that you must know about before diving into the cinematic verse of Mortal Kombat.
Things get complicated because there’s a fair way by which the inhabitants of one realm can conquer another realm – and this has been laid out by the Elder Gods themselves, mainly to safeguard each realm from invasion. If the greatest warriors of a realm are defeated consecutively in ten Mortal Kombat fights or tournaments, the winning realm can take over the losing one. And the films based on the series always follow this exact plot setting, since it is so crucial to the storyline and atmosphere of the game.
Plot For Mortal Kombat: 2
Mortal Kombat 1995 and 2021 have revolved around the same premise as the video game – one where the Outworld has already won nine Mortal Kombat tournaments against the Earthrealm and is now seeking to win the last one. However, Thunder God Raiden finds champions to train for the tenth tournament and they are ultimately able to save the Earthrealm.
This brings in some of the video game series’ most popular characters such as Johnny Cage, Lui Kang, and Sonya Blade who form the main trio in the 1995 film. Meanwhile, the 2021 film revolves around the ex-MMA fighter Cole Young. Shang Tsung from Outworld tries to get the champions of the Earthrealm killed off before the tournament to prevent any chances of loss. This results in Cole teaming up with Sonya Blade, and Jax Briggs. He also ends up meeting other champions and Raiden himself. He learns a lot throughout this journey and ultimately, his connection to Hanzo Hazashi’s bloodline helps him revive Scorpion. This turns out to be of great help in his fight against Sub-Zero.
The movie ends on a note where the crisis has been averted (temporarily) but there’s still one tournament left. So, Cole sets on a journey to recruit Johnny Cage as a champion.
Even though the movie has several action sequences, it does not show the tenth Mortal Kombat Tournament, which makes the movie notorious for leaving its fans unsatisfied.
Another Mortal Kombat movie is currently in production. Many fans enjoyed several in-game characters being introduced on screen for the 2021 movie. But it leaves much to be desired with reference to the tournament, which is ultimately what the video game and even the movies are all about.
Writer Jeremy Slater (who has previously worked on The Umbrella Academy and Moon Knight) returns for the sequel, as he talks about Mortal Kombat being in the early stages of its development. Having worked on the 2021 film, he knows what is clicking with the audience and what is not. With that in mind, he promises an awesome film to the fans. So we are hoping to get the violent tournament this time, especially with Cole Young and Scorpion being introduced in the last film.
As we already know, the 2021 film ends with Cole being sent to round up more champions for Earthrealm. Meanwhile, Shang Tsung is desperate to prevent a fair Mortal Kombat Tournament from happening as he does not want to be defeated after coming so close to the finish line. Shang Tsung is also likely to try and revive Bi-Han or Sub-Zero, who was defeated and killed by Scorpion.
With fans being very unhappy about the lack of a proper tournament in the previous film, Mortal Kombat 2 should definitely have one. And with Sub-Zero revived and Scorpion back, a 2 versus 2 fight with Sub-Zero and Shang Tsung in one team going against Scorpion and Cole in the other would be super cool.
Slater himself spoke about his approach to crafting this film in an interview with The Direct. He said,
“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.”
Slater has worked on the Disney+ Marvel series Moon Knight. However, he has claimed that his approach to Mortal Kombat is remarkably different. Marvel caters to a larger audience with several children being a part of the fanbase. This comes with a decent amount of censoring. But Mortal Kombat is renowned for its graphic violence and fatalities. There are heads being torn and things being set ablaze. There is no knockout system unless the knockout stands for death. Naturally, the movie will cater to a more mature audience and Slater will keep these graphic elements of the original game intact.
Johnny Cage is expected to be a part of this movie, with Cole trying to get to him at the end of the 2021 film. Some other fans have speculated that the movie will follow Outworld conquering the Earthrealm, prompting the champions of Earth to fight for their freedom against the invasion.
Cast For The New Mortal Kombat Movie
The Mortal Kombat movie has already killed off some important characters such as Kung Lao, Kano, and Joe Taslim’s Sub-Zero but Lewis Fan’s Cole Young, Jessica McNamee’s Sonya Blade, Tadanobu Asano’s Thunder God Raiden, Mehcad Brooks’ Jax Briggs, and maybe Hiroyuki Sanada’s Scorpion will return for Mortal Kombat 2.
So here’s a list of characters who are likely to appear and actors who may play them according to gossip, whispers, and rumours.
Johnny Cage
Easily the most awaited entry in this list, Johnny Cage is a Hollywood action movie actor and one of the most popular characters in the Mortal Kombat video game (and by extension, the movies).
According to his lore, he was a struggling actor who was critiqued for relying on fancy stunts instead of being proficient as a fighter. So, he wished to revive his reputation as an action hero in Hollywood and as a result, became a part of the Mortal Kombat tournament, a place where he could show off his skills as a fighter. However, his value as an individual expanded and he became an important defender of Earthrealm.
Some sources say that WWE star The Miz may play Johnny Cage while other rumours state that the Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds might be filling those shoes. However, the latter has debunked those rumours. Another person who is interested in playing Cage is Josh Hartnett.
Kenshi
An ally of the United States Special Forces, Kenshi Takahashi is a blind swordsman with special powers such as telekinesis. He despises the evil sorcerer Shang Tsung and has been a part of the Special Forces alongside Sonya Blade and Jax Briggs. With the Special Forces’ duty to stop the Red Dragon Clan, Kenshi wishes to bring down the faction.
It is rumoured that Keanu Reeves might play Kenshi Takahashi. Reeves is no stranger to action movies with heavyweight names such as the Matrix and John Wick under his belt. Kenshi Takahashi is surely a role that Reeves can do justice to.
Shao Kahn – Glenn Jacobs
A primary antagonist for Mortal Kombat, Shao Kahn is a soul-consuming tyrant of Outworld. His notorious godly strength out scales Raiden and you would not want to be subjected to his ruthlessness. On the off chance that a subordinate is able to win his favour, he will spare them. Otherwise, he happens to be a fan of executions.
Rumours circulate about this character, especially with reference to who will be playing the role and so far, two rumours lean towards known faces from the world of wrestling. One is Dwayne Johnson, who has claimed that he is working on a Mortal Kombat movie. This combined with Ed Boon (creator of the video game series) claiming that he would make a great Shao Kahn makes us believe that this is a huge possibility.
The other rumour states that the star wrestler Kane might be the one taking over as the big bad guy. With both of them being powerful wrestlers, it is only fair that Mortal Kombat 2 would have someone strong and muscular playing the role of Shao Kahn.
Kitana
Princess Kitana is the stepdaughter of Shao Kahn. She looks quite young despite being ten thousand years old. But interestingly enough, that is quite young in her realm Edenia. Despite being loyal to Shao Kahn, she eventually deflects and goes against him to free her realm.
There are no rumours or information about who can play this role.
Quan Chi – Ralph Fiennes
A dark magic-wielding demon from the Netherrealm, Quan Chi is an enemy to both Outworld and the Earthrealm, making him an antagonist for both. As a result, he is an enemy to both Sub-Zero and Scorpion. The powerful sorcerer is also known for his necromancy and being cunning as someone who wants to take over all of reality.
Sources claim that Ralph Fiennes might be the one taking over this role. As an actor, portraying menacing villains is something Fiennes has always aced, especially with his portrayals of Voldemort from the Harry Potter series and Amon Goeth from The Schindler’s List. So, it is easy to assume why this casting choice is an appropriate one.
Jade
Jade is a friend of Princess Kitana’s and works as Shao Kahn’s personal assassin and spy. She is also Princess Kitana’s bodyguard. Being a close friend of Kitana’s, she joined her after the former went against Shao Kahn, even though Jade was ordered to capture Kitana after her betrayal. She later relocated to Edenia and served their army as the General.
Actress Zoe Saldana is rumoured to be the one who will play Jade. She has appeared in some of the highest-grossing films ever such as – Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame, and Avatar. It is easy to imagine her in an action-packed movie as a character who works as a spy, an assassin, and eventually as the General of an Army.
Motaro
Motaro is a centaur from the Outworld, which means that he has the upper body or rather, the torso of a human being while having the body of a horse (like Chiron from Greek Mythology). He has mystical powers, alongside the others from his race, and despises the half-human half-dragon Shokan race.
Motaro and the Centaurians often go against the Shokan to prove their worth to Shao Kahn as the superior race.
Nightwolf
Also known as Grey Cloud, Nightwolf is a Native American hero and a respected warrior from the Matoka Tribe. He is on the side of all things good and an ally of Raiden. He is also in touch with the Great Spirit and can draw spiritual energy to amplify his powers.
Baraka
Baraka is another antagonist from the Mortal Kombat video game series as he serves the Outworld realm and by extension, Shao Kahn. He is the mean and unpredictable general of Outworld’s Tarkatan Horde, which is a race of nomadic mutants from Outworld’s wastelands.
He is cannibalistic just like the other members of his race and is one of the deadliest fighters in Mortal Kombat’s universe.
Shinnok
The Fallen Elder God Shinnok is a vengeful Elder God of Death who is another primary antagonist after the notorious Shao Kahn. He wishes for all the realms to succumb to destruction as one of the Mortal Kombat Universe’s most evil beings. He has a rumoured cameo in the upcoming Mortal Kombat film
Release Date For The Film
The Mortal Kombat sequel was confirmed in 2022 itself, so there is no way the film will come out anytime this year, especially with Jeremy Slater clearly saying that the film is in its early stages of production. Considering how it took around 25 years for the second Mortal Kombat movie even to be a thing, it is indeed great that we got news of a sequel in just a year.
Judging according to the time period it took for the production of the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie (barring the delays caused by Covid), Mortal Kombat 2 should come out in 2023.
It is believed that the Mortal Kombat sequel will also kickstart a Mortal Kombat Universe, especially with Warner Bros. making it a priority project. Several spin-offs are likely as well so stay tuned!
And with that, today’s video comes to an end. What did you think of the Mortal Kombat movies? Did you enjoy this video? If yes, then don’t forget to like and comment on this video. Till then, goodbye. And have a nice one!