The return of Mortal Kombat to the big screen is clearly a tentpole franchise release and this has been virtually confirmed by the film's co-writer, Greg Russo. Speaking to "CBR" in a new interview, the writer reveals that the first film was written as the first chapter of a trilogy and that he already has two sequels planned out.
"When I wrote Mortal Kombat, I conceived it as a trilogy; I didn't even tell the people I was working with I was doing it as a trilogy. Just as a writer, you never want to paint yourself into a corner or shutdown where your storyline could go. When I was writing the first film, I was always, in the back of my mind, outlining two more so I always knew where things could go. I would love to come back and explore, there's just so much off the mythology that we didn't have the time to get into [but] two hours is the right length for a first film. But there's more, there's the Shaolin monks, there's the special forces, there's all these spinoffs that you could see."
Russo goes on to reveal that while the first film takes place on Earth, the plan is for the sequels to take the gruesome action to the off-world of Edenia as well as other realms that are an important part of the lore of the video games. By taking the battles off of Earth, it will allow for more non-human fighters to be introduced in a more organic manner. Russo's plan with the trilogy as a whole is to do proper justice to the huge scope of the storyline from the source material.
New locations aren't the only enticing notion from exploring future films. The plan is for more fan-favorite characters to be introduced in the sequels and a lot of this was revealed because fans were a bit outraged that the first film would not feature Johnny Cage, who is a huge favorite with the fans. In a previous interview, producer Todd Garner promised that should a sequel be made, Johnny Cage would play an important role in the film:
"The reason we held back on Johnny Cage is because he's a very egotistical guy, he's a scoundrel, he's funny, he's bigger-than-life…and so is Kano. So are we going to have two guys competing and trying to [be funnier or more egotistical] or do you hold Johnny Cage because, God willing, we're able to do another one?"
The new Mortal Kombat is set to debut in theaters and on HBO MAX on April 23, 2021, and it features a cast of fighters ready to engage in bloody fatalities. The cast includes Mehcad Brooks as Jackson "Jax" Briggs, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion, Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero, Tadanobu Asano as Raiden, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Josh Lawson as Kano, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Max Huang as Kung Lao Max, and Lewis Tan as an all-new character named Cole Young. You can read the film's official synopsis below:
"From New Line Cinema comes the explosive new cinematic adventure “Mortal Kombat,” inspired by the blockbuster video game franchise, which most recently enjoyed the most successful video game launch in its history, Mortal Kombat 11. The film is helmed by award-winning Australian commercial filmmaker Simon McQuoid, marking his feature directorial debut, and produced by James Wan (“The Conjuring” universe films, “Aquaman,”), Todd Garner (“Into the Storm,” “Tag”), McQuoid and E. Bennett Walsh (“Men in Black: International,” “The Amazing Spider-Man 2”). In “Mortal Kombat,” MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage—or why Outworld’s Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family’s safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana—the immense power from within his soul—in time to save not only his family but to stop Outworld once and for all?'
How would YOU like to see a Mortal Kombat trilogy play out?