The trailer places quite a bit of emphasis on the pressure that protagonist Johnny Cage will feel throughout the story, thanks to the fate of Earthrealm resting on his shoulders. We also see several iconic characters from the series, including Raiden, Scorpion, Liu Kang, and Kung Lao. Interestingly, the trailer also confirms that its take on Noob Saibot is a now-transformed Sub-Zero.

This latest trailer comes just a couple of months after the last one, which showcased the film’s colorful cast of characters, including Saibot, Scorpion, Shao Kahn, and Kung Lao, among others.

Before Mortal Kombat 2 got its May 8th release date, the film was originally set for release in theatres in October 2025. It was delayed to May 15th, before subsequently settling on its current release date. A report from back in October indicated that this was to make room for The Devil Wears Prada 2.

The report had also noted that May 2026 was a relatively sparse month for film releases, with Mortal Kombat 2 primarily competing with Final Destination: Bloodlines and Is God Is.

The story of Mortal Kombat 2 will be a direct continuation of its predecessor, and will feature Karl Urban as Cage. He’s joined by Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada. Martyn Ford will also be in the movie, playing Shao Khan.

The reboot of the film franchise kicked off back in 2021, with the first release proving to be an incredible hit despite the pandemic-induced lockdowns going on at the time. It had reportedly grossed $23.3 million in its opening weekend in the US, and had beaten internal expectations set by Warner Bros.

As we get ready for Mortal Kombat 2’s release next month, it is worth keeping in mind that screenwriter Jeremy Slater has already confirmed that a third movie is being made. During a panel at New York Comic Con, Slater said that New Line and Warner Bros. have been quite happy with the production of Mortal Kombat 2, and have already asked him to start writing the third movie.

As for the video game franchise, developer NetherRealm Studios recently announced that the latest entry—Mortal Kombat 1—has sold 8 million copies. While an impressive milestone, it will still be some time before it can beat its predecessor, Mortal Kombat 11, which sold more than 15 million copies as of 2022.

These include Noob Saibot (formerly Bi Han) taking on Scorpion, Kung Lao going up against Liu Kang, and Shao Kahn doing Shao Kahn things (including proclaiming Earthrealm to be his). Of course, Kitana isn’t too keen on bowing down to the Outworld ruler. In the middle of all this is Johnny Cage, trying to survive against all kinds of opposition. At least he has moral support from his friends.

Since Karl Urban plays Cage, it makes sense that he’s the star (see: The Boys, Dredd and much more). Still, he brings a unique charisma to the character, who has always oscillated between smarmy goofball and serious fighter. Kudos to the casting director for ensuring that everyone else fits, including newcomers like Jade.

Mortal Kombat 2 is out on May 8th in theaters following a delay from last year. Stay tuned for more details and trailers leading up to its release.

Along with this, the report has also indicated that Mortal Kombat 2 has been getting positive reactions from research screenings that have been held.

It is worth noting that Mortal Kombat 2 was originally slated to be released in theaters in October 2025. However, plans were subsequently changed, with the movie’s release being pushed back all the way to May 2026. A previous report indicates that the decision to delay the movie by so many months was made due to the success of its Red Band trailer back in July – which managed to get over 100 million views across various social media platforms worldwide.

May 2026 was also chosen as a general release window thanks to the relative sparseness of competition for Mortal Kombat 2, with the primary competitor in the month being Final Destination: Bloodlines, and other movies like Is God Is. The October release window, on the other hand would have featured quite a bit of competition, with movies like Springsteen Deliver Me From Nowhere and Regretting You set to be released in theaters.

Mortal Kombat 2 will continue the story from its predecessor, and will feature Karl Urban playing the role of Johnny Cage. Urban is joined by Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada. Martyn Ford will also be in the movie, playing Shao Khan.

The first movie in this rebooted series was launched into theaters back in 2021, and proved to be an incredible hit despite the pandemic going on at the time. The movie, according to a report, grossed $23.3 million during its opening weekend in the US alone. The movie was able to beat internal expectations at Warner Bros., which expected to make closer to $15 million in its opening weekend.

In the meantime, Mortal Kombat 2 screenwriter Jeremy Slater has also confirmed during a panel at New York Comic Con that work had begun on writing a third movie in the franchise as well.

“Our friends at New Line and Warner Bros. are so happy with this movie,” said Slater during the panel. “They are so excited, they are so convinced that there is a giant fan base waiting for it, they’ve already hired me to start writing the next instalment.”

While Warner Bros. is essentially gearing up for the release of the second movie for the time being, the history of the Mortal Kombat franchise is also getting a celebration of its history at the end of the month with the release of Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection.

“Our friends at New Line and Warner Bros. are so happy with this movie. They are so excited, they are so convinced that there is a giant fan base waiting for it, they’ve already hired me to start writing the next installment.”

Of course, nothing else is known about the third film or how it will build on the second. Mortal Kombat 2 premieres on May 16th, 2026 and features Karl Urban headlining as Johnny Cage. Other notable stars include Adeline Rudolph as Kitana, Tati Gabrielle as Jade, and Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn, all of whom are debuting in the film franchise for the first time.

As for NetherRealm’s video game franchise, it’s currently on the back burner following the end of support for Mortal Kombat 1 (which sold over 6.2 million copies as of August). The studio is allegedly working on Injustice 3 based on the DC Universe. Stay tuned for updates in the meantime.

May 2026, on the other hand, has little in the way of competition for Mortal Kombat 2, since the primary competition for New Line and Warner Bros. in the month will be Final Destination: Bloodlines. Other companies’ productions with a similar release window include Is God Is by Amazon MGM Studios, and an untitled movie by Neon.

This decision also comes down to the fact that the upcoming sequel is hotly anticipated, with over 107 million views globally for its red-band trailer. Despite these views, however, the October release window would have been troublesome for the film owing to movies like Springsteen Deliver Me From Nowhere and Regretting You.

Mortal Kombat 2 is set to pick up where its predecessor left off, and will feature Karl Urban in the role of Johnny Storm. The movie will also star Adeline Rudolph, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Tati Gabrielle, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada.

The first movie in the revival series came out back in 2021, and despite middling critical reception, it ended up being incredibly popular. The movie made its theatrical debut with $23.3 million in its opening weekend alone.

While a new Mortal Kombat movie is on the way, NetherRealm Studios is also looking towards the history of the fighting game series thanks to the upcoming Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection developed by Digital Eclipse and published by Atari. The collection will include a host of classic Mortal Kombat games, with a trailer from last month also confirming that Mortal Kombat Mythologies: Sub-Zero and Mortal Kombat: Special Forces will also be included.

Digital Eclipse has previously confirmed some of the other titles that will be available in the collection. The list includes a host of classics and their spin-offs, including Mortal Kombat (1992), Mortal Kombat 2 (1993), Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (1995), Mortal Kombat 4 (1997), Mortal Kombat Advance (2001), Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance (2002), and Mortal Kombat: Tournament Edition (2003).

The trailer confirming the return of Mythologies also gave us a glimpse at some of the more historical content that will be available in the collection, including full 3D models of the arcade machines that many of the classic titles were originally made for. There will also be high-quality scans of concept art and design documents, as well as interviews with various members of the games’ development teams over the years.

Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection is coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and the Switch 2. The title doesn’t yet have a release date, however. Rumours have indicated that it might come out by the end of September.

Sonya Blade

If you’re going to have a Mortal Kombat title with Liu Kang, Sub-Zero, Scorpion and Johnny Cage – the classics that defined an entire era of fighting games – then Sonya Blade has to be there. It would also make sense from a narrative perspective: Sonya sacrificed herself heroically in Mortal Kombat 11 and was absent for most of the story (not counting her younger, past self). Bringing her back, especially in an era of peace when she’s fought for so long, feels poetic.

Kano

Of course, if you’re going to have Sonya, then there’s no way Kano can’t be present. Aside from his fun fighting style, which incorporates knives, lasers and grappling, his personality has always provided some much-needed humor. The question, now, is how his story intertwines with Sonya’s, if at all, and whether he’s on the straight and narrow or up to no good in the New Era.

Reptile

It feels less like we should ask if Reptile will be in Mortal Kombat 1 and more like we should ask, “Which version?” The Saurian has adapted both human and reptilian appearances throughout the years, though he’s always worked at the behest of Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn. Still, his invisibility and acid spit helped him stand out amid the other ninjas and could make an excellent addition to the reboot’s roster.

Ermac

Ermac has had a long and storied history with the franchise, whether it’s being controlled by Shao Kahn or working with Kotal Kahn for the betterment of Outworld. His sheer range of abilities has always been great, using teleportation and telekinesis to overwhelm opponents. Again, how his fate will play out in the reboot remains to be seen, but if Outworld does become involved, it wouldn’t be odd to see him step up to the plate.

Shao Kahn

It’s unknown if Shao Kahn would come back – we could maybe see Liu Kang reviving Shang Tsung for laughs, but Shao Kahn? The all-conquering and cruel ruler of Outworld? Given the state of Edenia and its relative peace, he either doesn’t exist in Mortal Kombat 1 or hasn’t invaded it yet. Nevertheless, his status is iconic, and even if his entire history is different, it wouldn’t be a Mortal Kombat title without him.

Goro

Goro was last seen in Mortal Kombat 11 on his throne in the Krypt. The last time we saw him alive was in Mortal Kombat X, where he served as a DLC character who wasn’t involved in the main story. Given all the time resetting shenanigans, surely he would appear in some capacity, right? He’s about as iconic as Shang Tsung or Shao Kahn when it comes to villains, after all.

Kenshi

Debuting in Deadly Alliance, Kenshi has always been a cool character. A blindfold-wearing fighter with heightened senses who fights on the side of good and has a sword? Who could resist? His role in the Shirai Ryu, with his son being trained by Hanzo Hasashi, and freeing Ermac from Shao Kahn, may be completely different if he ever returned in the reboot. Heck, he may not even be blind anymore. Regardless, we’d like to see him return.

Kintaro

If Goro felt shafted post-Mortal Kombat 9, spare a thought for poor Kintaro. He debuted in Mortal Kombat 2 and returned in Deception and Armageddon. While he had a decent role in Mortal Kombat 9, he was defeated by Stryker, of all people. Even if he didn’t figure in Mortal Kombat X, his heroic death in the comic series warrants some resurrection – and reparation – in the reboot.

Kollector

The Kollector was always a curious character, using a variety of weapons and tools to dismantle fighters. Still, despite his obsession with, well, collecting, he has a creepy vibe that’s almost somewhat endearing. If the major villains in Mortal Kombat 1 need a henchman just running around, collecting body parts, Kollector could be an option, especially since he only really appeared in MK11.

Jax Briggs

Even if he didn’t debut in the first game with Sonya and Kano, Jax’s fate feels intertwined with the two. Regardless, given the horrors he went through in Mortal Kombat X, and his alliance with Kronika in MK11 before returning to the side of good, it feels like Jax is ready for a new story. Besides, his style of punching things with metal arms is still appealing.

Jade

While the relationship between Mileena and Kitana as sisters has always been complicated, Jade’s motives have usually been clearer. She may have been loyal to Shao Kahn in Mortal Kombat 9 but always cared for Kitana and tried to protect her. On seeing the latter suffer from her actions, Jade sought to make amends, even remarking to Mileena how she was more of a sister to Kitana. So it’s more than a little odd to see Mileena and not Jade opposite Kitana in the reboot. It doesn’t mean she’s completely absent, but her inclusion seems a given.

Motaro

Despite being somewhat of a boss (albeit not the final boss) in Mortal Kombat 3, Motaro has always felt even less appreciated throughout the franchise than Kintaro. He was summarily disposed of by Raiden in Mortal Kombat 9 and hasn’t been seen since. If ever there was a time to bring the Centaurian back and start with a clean slate, the New Era would be it.

Nightwolf

Even if his character design has had mixed opinions throughout the franchise’s history, Nightwolf did play a central role in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. Not only did he reject Kronika, but tried to stop Shang Tsung when his deception became clear. To that end, it feels like he has unfinished business with the sorcerer. The question now is whether he’s popular enough to get in over everyone else.

Havik

Of the many characters who never really made the jump to the previous timeline’s video games (not including the MKX comics), Havik has always felt underappreciated. Hailing from Chaosrealm, he’s an agent of chaos above all else, which plays into his erratic fighting style. Who else in the reboot could claim to snap their neck and then back to restore health? He could be an unexpected wild card in the new story.

Kabal

Besides looking cool, there are plenty of reasons to bring back Kabal. He’s always had a fun fighting style which mixes speedy attacks and grapples with his hook swords in awesome ways. Even if he was on Kronika’s side throughout Mortal Kombat 11, his connection to Kano could see him return in the reboot, one way or another. Whether that’s part of the Black Dragon or with Earthrealm and the side of good remains to be seen.

LAVENDER TOWN (POKEMON RED AND BLUE)

For a series made primarily for kids, Pokemon has a surprising tendency to regularly show some pretty eerie stuff, and the eeriest of them all was Lavender Town as a whole. From the creepy Pokemon Tower to the vibe of the whole town, Lavender Town was not a very pleasant place to be in- and the music accompanying the location had a huge hand in that.

THE GENERAL (KAISER KNUCKLE)

The end of Kaiser Knuckle’s campaign sees players coming up against The General, in what proves to be one of the cheapest and most frustratingly tough bosses you’ll ever face in a fighting game. Thanks to ridiculously unfair teleportation moves, slide kicks that he just won’t stop spamming, and various attacks that can do devastating damage, the General is an absolute nightmare.

MIKE TYSON (PUNCH-OUT!!)

One of the greatest athletes of all time is just as formidable in 8-bit form as he used to be in real life at his prime. Starring as the final hurdle in Punch-Out!!, Mike “Iron Mike” Tyson pulled no punches. Right off the bat, he hurled a barrage of attacks at the player that required a series of precise dodges, while what followed was a series of fast, hard-hitting attacks that could make even the most season players sweat.

Sindel

Everybody screams in Mortal Kombat but there’s only one screamer who revels in it – Sindel, the Queen of Edenia. Sindel’s powers are actually derived from air magic – she can hover in mid-air, channel magic to shoot fireballs and of course, screams at enemies to stun them. Not content slaying with her voice, she also uses her hair to grab opponents and toss them around (or slam them multiple times into the ground like in Mortal Kombat 9).