Exclusive: Scorpion Mortal Kombat Series In Development at HBO Max

The recent Mortal Kombat film starred new kharacter Cole Young, and there's speculation that he may come to the games. But he probably shouldn't.

With a new Mortal Kombat movie having come out recently, some fans are speculating whether references to it will be slipped into Mortal Kombat 12, the game rumored to be coming from NetherRealm Studios. The most likely candidate for addition would be Cole Young, the film’s lead - but it's not likely he'd get a warm reception, and he seems like a poor fit for Mortal Kombat's game world.

Johnny Cage has been heavily requested by fans for a Mortal Kombat sequel, but the character might be better introduced through a spinoff movie instead. As the only original MK fighter not appearing in the upcoming reboot, Cage has been a hot topic of discussion in the leadup to release. Producer Todd Garner and director Simon McQuoid have both given convincing justifications for Cage’s exclusion, while also promising his return if future films get made.

Even if Mortal Komabt 2 happens, however, it might not be the best venue in which to reintroduce Johnny Cage. Garner and McQuoid have explained that the character was left out of the reboot because he was too tonally dissonant from the rest of the cast. The goal with Mortal Kombat, according to the creative team behind it, was to craft a slightly more grounded fantasy story driven by mythical lore and expert martial arts action. Cage’s penchant for comic relief and his character’s larger-than-life Hollywood persona understandably didn’t quite fit with that tone.

With lots of potential for a Mortal Kombat cinematic universe, if the reboot succeeds, the best way to introduce Johnny Cage might be in a spinoff rather than a direct sequel. Johnny Cage is a character who, like Deadpool in X-Men or the Guardians of the Galaxy in the MCU, needs to be able to set the tone of his own story. A spinoff centering fully on Cage could properly embrace the action/comedy fusion the character needs to succeed, while also establishing his broader role in the MK mythos. Once he’d had a full film to develop on his own, he could be brought into the core series in a much less obtrusive way.

Mortal Kombat is primed for spinoffs already with its large ensemble of characters. Joe Taslim, who plays Sub-Zero in the reboot, has discussed his desire for the character to get a prequel film. Similarly, Ludi Lin, who plays Liu Kang, and Max Huang, who plays Kung Lao, have expressed interest in a Shaolin monks spinoff of their own. The MK mythos is quite extensive, creating lots of fun side story opportunities.

Since Johnny Cage is the most notable absence from the new Mortal Kombat, he should also be a frontrunner for spinoffs. Bringing him into Mortal Kombat 2 with no prior introduction could certainly work, but it could also easily create an imbalance between his story and the rest of the film. By giving Johnny Cage his own spinoff movie first, Mortal Kombat can fully and properly establish the character before adding him to the core lineup later on.

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