Simon McQuoid's 2021 Mortal Kombat is one of the best video game movies ever, and the story was greatly expanded when its sequel hit theaters last weekend. Just like the first film (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription), plenty of iconic fighters were adapted for live-action. Mortal Kombat II's writer Jeremy Slater revealed he's got plans for up to four more movies, and honestly take my money at this point.
While Mortal Kombat II didn't bring Johnny and Sonya's love story to life, we got to see more beloved fighters like Baraka, Noob Saboit, and Shao Khan. During an interview with Variety, Slater revealed that he knows which characters he wants to bring into the fold... with his plans spanning multiple sequels. In his words:
I have dozens of characters that I want to bring into live action. Some of them are on deck next, and some of them are being saved for a hypothetical 4, 5, or 6. In success, we will get to as many of the classics as we possibly can, but we always want to be careful to never overload the audience.
Do you hear that sound? it's generations of Mortal Kombat fans collectively cheering. The beloved gaming franchise has been around for decades, so we've seen tons of fighters join the titular tournament. Hopefully the budding franchise gets some more sequels, allowing Jeremy Slater's plans to come to fruition. Although now I have to wonder which fighters he's invested in bringing to the big screen. Tell us more, please!
When the 2021 movie came out, longtime fans of the franchise has thoughts about which fighters got to duke it out. Mortal Kombat's ending teased Johnny Cage was coming, with Karl Urban getting the role and becoming one of the sequel's main protagonists. Later in the same interview, Slater went on to speak about his plans for future sequels, offering:
I know exactly which new characters we’re bringing in, but it’s way too early to tell people at this point. We’re also being really receptive to the fan base. Todd Garner has maintained such a great relationship with the Mortal Kombat fan base and keeping a dialogue open in terms of ‘Who are you dying to see in live action?’ We have that feedback to take into consideration, but we also have to balance that against the story needs of where we ultimately want to take it and what we’re building toward.)
Honestly, I'm thrilled. Not only does the Mortal Kombat II writer know which characters he wants to work with in future installments of the burgeoning franchise, but he's apparently taking fan comments into consideration. Let's just hope that Warner Bros. green lights a third movie... even if the first sequel failed to beat The Devil Wears Prada 2 in theaters.
Mortal Kombat II is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. Fingers crossed we hear about the franchise's future sooner rather than later.
