Mortal Kombat 2 Brings the Tournament to the Big Screen with New Fighters and High Stakes
The 2021 Mortal Kombat film had all the right ingredients: a strong ensemble cast, high-quality costuming, and glimpses of thrilling fight choreography. Yet, it fell short, delivering a fragmented experience with limited action sequences and a surprising absence of the legendary Mortal Kombat tournament.
Good news for fans—Mortal Kombat 2 is set to correct that. A first look from Entertainment Weekly confirms that the much-anticipated tournament is finally happening, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. If Earthrealm loses its 10th consecutive match against Outworld, Shao Kahn will invade and conquer Earth.
“They keep score throughout the movie,” reveals Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon. “There’s a visual representation of who is winning. It’s not just a tournament for the sake of it—there are massive consequences. And there are plenty of twists to keep you on your toes.”
New Fighters Join the Battle
EW’s exclusive first look showcases Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, alongside Adeline Rudolph (Resident Evil) as Kitana and bodybuilder Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn. Each of these characters will also receive “movie-accurate” skins in Mortal Kombat 1 in 2025.
Additional new cast members include:
- Tati Gabrielle as Jade
- Ana Thu Nguyen as Queen Sindel
- Several undisclosed characters that fulfill the filmmakers’ goal of increasing female representation. Could Sheeva be among them? Time will tell.
Returning Warriors
Fan-favorite characters are also making a comeback. Mortal Kombat 2 reunites Shōgun stars Tadanobu Asano (Raiden) and Hiroyuki Sanada (Scorpion) with other returning cast members:
- Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero
- Mehcad Brooks as Jax Briggs
- Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade
- Lewis Tan as Cole Young
- Josh Lawson as Kano
- Max Huang as Kung Lao
Despite Kano and Kung Lao’s deaths in the first movie, Boon teases that Mortal Kombat lore provides creative ways for fallen fighters to return.
A New Era for Fighting Game Adaptations
This film arrives during a booming era of video game adaptations, especially in the fighting genre. Alongside Mortal Kombat 2, a new Street Fighter movie is in development from The Eric Andre Show and Bad Trip director Kitao Sakurai. Whether either adaptation will recapture the wild fun of their predecessors remains to be seen, but one thing’s certain—Mortal Kombat 2 is bringing the fight fans have been waiting for.