The Earthrealm is bracing for another savage tournament and this time it’s personal.
After four long years of development hell Warner Bros. has finally released the first official trailer for Mortal Kombat II the long anticipated sequel to the studio’s 2021 reboot of the legendary video game franchise. Slated for theatrical release on October 24 the R rated fantasy action epic promises even more fatalities fan favorite fighters and a full throttle dive into the lore of the bloodsoaked tournament that has defined the Mortal Kombat brand for over three decades.
This time there will be no mercy and it’s Johnny Cage’s time to shine.
KARL URBAN IS JOHNNY CAGE AND HE’S TAKING CENTER STAGE
The trailer which debuted online earlier today makes one thing crystal clear Karl Urban best known for his roles in The Boys Dredd and The Lord of the Rings is stepping into the spotlight as Johnny Cage the cocky sunglasses wearing Hollywood heartthrob turned champion of Earthrealm. With Urban’s natural charisma and penchant for brutal on screen beatdowns the casting is pitch perfect and the trailer positions him as the new protagonist of the sequel.
Gone it seems are the days of Lewis Tan’s Cole Young dominating the screen. Despite being the original lead in the 2021 film the trailer reduces him to little more than a blink and you’ll miss it cameo. For fans who were confused by the decision to create an entirely new character instead of centering the story around the game’s established legends this sequel appears to be a hard course correction.
According to the film’s official synopsis Mortal Kombat II follows Earthrealm’s champions now including Johnny Cageas they finally enter the tournament proper battling to prevent the dark emperor Shao Kahn from conquering their world. The stakes are higher the battles bloodier and the character roster far more faithful to the source material.
A STACKED ROSTER OF FIGHTERS AND YES THE TOURNAMENT IS REAL THIS TIME
The 2021 film teased the idea of the Mortal Kombat tournament without ever delivering one. That’s no longer the case.
Director Simon McQuoid returning after making his directorial debut on the first film appears to be leaning all the way into the mythology this time. With a script penned by Jeremy Slater (Moon Knight) the film introduces a wave of classic Kombatants ready to draw blood:
- Adeline Rudolph (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) as the fan wielding princess Kitana
- Tati Gabrielle (You The 100) as Jade her loyal childhood friend and staff wielding assassin
- Damon Herriman (Mindhunter) as necromancer Quan Chi
- Martyn Ford the hulking British bodybuilder as the tyrannical Shao Kahn
- Ana Thu Nguyen as the fearsome banshee queen Sindel
- Desmond Chiam (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) as King Jerrod
- CJ Bloomfield as Baraka the monstrous blade jawed mutant
Returning fighters from the first film include
- Lewis Tan as the sidelined Cole Young
- Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade
- Ludi Lin as Liu Kang
- Mehcad Brooks as Jax
- Josh Lawson as Kano
- Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden
- Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion
- Joe Taslim as Sub Zero presumably as the resurrected Noob Saibot
- Max Huang as Kung Lao
- Chin Han as Shang Tsung
It’s a bold no nonsense ensemble that taps deeper into the games’ lore than ever before.
THE END OF COLE YOUNG FANS GET THE COURSE CORRECTION THEY ASKED FOR
When Mortal Kombat debuted in 2021 the decision to make Cole Young an original character the lead figure was met with confusion. While Tan delivered a solid performance longtime fans were baffled by the absence of Johnny Cage one of the franchise’s most iconic figures.
At the end of the first film Cole was tasked with recruiting more champions for the coming battle and the final shot teased Cage’s Hollywood style poster on the wall of a Los Angeles gym.
Now with Urban taking over top billing that teaser appears to have paid off albeit at Cole Young’s expense.
While Lewis Tan is officially in the sequel his role appears to have been significantly diminished signaling a shift back toward the franchise’s beloved legacy characters. For diehard gamers it’s a long awaited realignment with the source material and one that could re energize the series moving forward.
BIGGER BLOODIER AND MORE BRUTAL THAN EVER BEFORE
The Super Mario Bros. Movie may have raked in billions for the family friendly crowd but Mortal Kombat II isn’t playing for kids. Much like its predecessor this sequel is unapologetically R rated dripping in blood dismemberments and vicious combat pulled straight from the iconic fatalities that defined the video game.
McQuoid and his team are clearly aiming for a more mature audience carving out a unique lane among modern video game adaptations one that’s true to the franchise’s gory roots.
It’s also worth noting that while the first Mortal Kombat film earned just 84 million dollars globally on a 55 million dollar budget it found explosive success on HBO Max during the height of the pandemic. Warner Bros. seems confident that a more character faithful spectacle driven sequel led by a marquee star like Karl Urban can break out theatrically this time.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FATALITIES BEGIN OCTOBER 24
With a massive ensemble fan pleasing lore accuracy and what appears to be a real Mortal Kombat tournament at lastMortal Kombat II is shaping up to be one of the fall’s most talked about releases.
The question now isn’t whether someone will shout “FINISH HIM” it’s who will survive to hear it.
Mortal Kombat II opens exclusively in theaters on October 24 2025.
Watch the trailer below if you dare.
