After over two decades, the famous fighting video game, Mortal Kombat, has its third movie out, and it will be available in theaters and on HBO Max this Friday, April 23. Fans of the franchise are ready and waiting, but they aren’t the only ones excited for the release of the new film. If you enjoy watching some cool flips, punches, and kicks (and don’t mind a bit of blood and gore) you might be looking forward to Mortal Kombat, too.
The Mortal Kombat movie will star some of the games most iconic characters, and they will be brought to life by some incredible martial artist stars. If you know movies like, The Raid: Redemption or The Night Comes for Us then you will know the martial-artist star Joe Taslim who will be playing one of the biggest and baddest characters of them all, Sub-Zero.
Arguably the best player in the game, Scorpion, will be played by the Japanese actor, Hiroyuki Sanada who has been in several martial arts films such as The Last Samurai and 47 Ronin. Most recently, we saw him in Avengers: Endgame as the Yakuza boss, Akihiko. Both of these characters are shown in the opening scene of the movie that was just released.
The first seven minutes of the Mortal Kombat movie have just been released on YouTube:
Besides Sub-Zero and Scorpion, many of the game’s core characters will be making themselves present in the movie. We will see several of the original and most powerful players.
Our protagonist will be played by a new character, however, named Cole Young. Young is played by Lewis Tan (who we saw in Deadpool 2 as Shatterstar). From what we know of the storyline so far, Young is an MMA fighter that comes from a mysterious lineage that he knows nothing about. He is being hunted down by none other than Sub-Zero, and then begins his journey to learn more about the birthmark he has on his chest, the Mortal Kombat symbol. He will be teaming up with some of Earth’s greatest warriors in order to fight against the enemies of the Outworld in a battle to save the universe.
Here’s a peek at the latest Mortal Kombat trailer:Â
The Mortal Kombat Franchise History
The Mortal Kombat video games were first released in 1992 and were originally developed by Midway Games. Since then, they have become one of the most successful fighting video games there is. The latest release of Mortal Kombat 11: Ultimate Edition was developed by NetherRealm Studios and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment.
The first Mortal Kombat film, released in 1995, tells the story of three martial artists who are summoned to a mysterious island to compete in a tournament that will decide the fate of the world. Its sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation came out in 1997 when again the martial artists are summoned and have only six-day to save the world. Although violent, the movies were rated PG-13 and had far less of the game’s famously intense death scenes.
From what we can see in the trailer, this Mortal Kombat movie will have more of the game’s violence than the first two movies, and the fans are happy to see that ‘R’ rating. The fatalities are a big part of the Mortal Kombat game with the deep voice of Steve Richie resounding “Finish him!”
Directed by Simon McQuoid and produced by Todd Garner and James Wan (producer of Aquaman) the latest Mortal Kombat reboot is looking to be the best adaption of the games so far. With this film being a closer adaption to the game and with such a talented cast of martial artists, there are bound to be some pretty epic scenes.
The Main Characters: Who We’re Seeing and Not Seeing
The Mortal Kombat history along with its list of characters is long. However, there are some key characters that are extremely popular and have been mainstays since the beginning, and it seems like we will be getting to meet most of them in the new movie.
Here’s who we know will be in the movie so far:
Goro 
The massive Goro with his four arms has been a huge part of the franchise since the very beginning. So, of course, he will make an appearance in the movie. Goro was one of the hardest characters to beat in the original game due to his size, strength, and ability to take major damage.
Kung Loa
Known for using his hat to decapitate his enemies or simply just slice them in half, Kung Loa will be played by stunt performer Max Huang.
Jax
Major Jackson Briggs is being played by actor Mehcad Brooks, and as you can see in the trailer, has his arms frozen and ripped from his body by Sub-Zero and has them replaced with bionic ones. Over the years, his backstory and how he has lost his arms has changed, but this one looks like it will work well with the storyline.
Liu Kang
Liu Kang is another original character from the first games and is said to be based on martial artist Bruce Lee. He is a master of Kung Fu and can create and control fire. His moves include spectacular flying kicks and throwing fireballs. He even has the ability to turn into a dragon. His character will be played by Ludi Lin.
Shang Tsung
Played by The Dark Knight’s Chin Han, Liu Kang’s arch-nemesis, Shang Tsung is one of the main villains in Mortal Kombat. He has powers that are one of a kind such as the ability to perform the other fighter’s signature moves and… to steal their souls. In the movie, it looks like he will be playing the Emporer of the Outerworld.
Sonya Blade
Sonya Blade was the first female character in Mortal Kombat and is one of the best contenders in the game. She is known for her advanced martial arts skills and her kiss of death (a fireball to the face). Her character will be played by Australian actress, Jessica McNamee.
Kano
Josh Lawson stars as the arms dealer and hard-core killer, Kano. Kano has a bionic eye that he uses against his enemies by shooting a fiery laser. He also has a bionic heart which is probably why one of his signature fatality moves includes ripping out his opponents’ hearts.
Raiden
A celestial being with glowing eyes, Raiden, was deemed as the protector of the realm and the God of Thunder (non-Asgardian) and has electrical powers such as the ability to shoot lightning bolts at his opponents. His role is filled by the same star that plays Hogun in Thor, Tadanobu Asano. He is another one of the most powerful characters in the franchise and has been known to electrocute his opponents so violently that they burst into flames or explode entirely.
Mileena
A definite “bad guy” Mileena is the clone or sister to Kitana and is known for her purple outfit and mask that coverers her deformed jaw complete with fanged teeth and snake-like tongue. Her character in the movie is being played by Sisi Stringer. Her weapons of choice are a pair of Sai that you can see her wiping clean with her (not so serpentine) tongue in the trailer.
Sub-Zero
Sub-Zero is a Crynomancer with some of the most powerful fatality moves of all including the spine rip in which he pulls the heads from his opponent’s bodies with their spines still attached. He also has ice powers that allow him to create protective ice barriers as well as the ability to freeze his opponents.
Scorpion
An undead warrior with multiple powers that include burning his opponents with Hellfire, Scorpion is the sworn enemy of Sub-Zero. Played by Hiroyuki Sanada, he has one of the most famous lines in the entire franchise, “Get over here!”. He often says this while using a chain or a rope, he flings his signature weapon, a blade called a kunai, at his opponents to pull them towards him.
What about Johnny Cage?
Johnny Cage, a major character from the games is missing from this Mortal Kombat movie. The game was actually first thought up as a way to create a character based on actor Jean Claude Van Damn. The producers left out Cage with the desire of focusing on a more Asian cast and knew that Cage’s presence would deviate from that. Cage was known for his signature kicks.
Other than Johnny Cage, there are a few other signature fighters that we are hoping to see in the movie as well. For example, knowing that Mileena is involved we would hope to see her clone, Kitana, the 10,000-year-old princess that can whoop some major butt and deliver a kiss of doom.
Although we do see a statue of Mortal Kombat’s main antagonist, Shao Kahn, we are yet to find out what kind of role the ruler of the Outerworld will play in the movie, if any since Shang Tsung has been given the title of Emperor of the Outerworld.
Ready for the Movie?Â
Who’s ready to fight? Whether you are a hard-core fan or not, this movie will surely get you pumped up and either ready to go do some kickboxing or sit back and play the game. Having already seen the first seven minutes of the film, we are shown just how intense and exciting the film is going to be. Sub-Zero and Scorpion have always contended for the top spot as the best martial artists. It will be exciting to see them continue their fight throughout the movie.
Are you excited about the latest Mortal Kombat movie? Let us know in the comments below.
