 |
| Karl Urban as Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat II. May 8 can't come soon enough. |
By Jon Scarr
Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have released a new trailer for the upcoming Mortal Kombat II movie. It's the last full look before the film hits theatres on May 8.
Johnny Cage, Noob Saibot and a Very Familiar Theme
Karl Urban, best known as Billy Butcher in The Boys, plays Johnny Cage a washed-up martial arts star who's one of the most requested characters in franchise history. This trailer puts him at the centre of almost everything, and that's a good call. Urban's got the timing for the character, and the comedy works. The trailer also gives us proper looks at Kitana (Adeline Rudolph), Baraka, Jade (Tati Gabrielle), Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford), and Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada).
There's a moment that'll get MK fans going: Scorpion confronts Bi-Han, the former Sub-Zero played by Joe Taslim, who tells him he's been reborn. Anyone who knows the games knows exactly what that means: Bi-Han is Noob Saibot now. The film isn't dancing around the lore.
You'll hear it before you see it: the trailer uses a 2026 remix of "Techno Syndrome," the theme from the 1995 Mortal Kombat film. That track is woven into the franchise's identity at this point, and hearing it again here does what it's supposed to do.
Ed Boon Shows Up at the Bar
Keep an eye on the one-minute mark. Ed Boon, co-creator of the Mortal Kombat franchise, appears as a bartender pouring Johnny Cage a drink. Boon first teased the cameo at New York Comic-Con in October 2025.
He also worked with the production on the creative side. Screenwriter Jeremy Slater has said Boon and his team at NetherRealm Studios were a direct resource during writing, helping place fights in iconic game locations and adding Easter eggs throughout the movie.
Tickets on Sale and Mortal Kombat 3 Already Greenlit
Tickets are on sale now, including IMAX. And, if you buy through participating services between April 9 and May 24, 2026 you get 750 Dragon Krystals for Mortal Kombat 1, to spend on cosmetics and content. The bonus is redeemable on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. It isn't available for the Nintendo Switch version of Mortal Kombat 1.
Mortal Kombat II is directed by Simon McQuoid, who helmed the 2021 reboot. That film earned $84.5 million worldwide despite releasing simultaneously in theatres and on streaming during the pandemic. New Line originally had the sequel scheduled for October 24, 2025, before pushing it to May 8, 2026, after positive test screenings. McQuoid called it a case of being "a victim of our own success." Warner Bros. has already greenlit Mortal Kombat 3, with Jeremy Slater returning as screenwriter.
The full cast includes Karl Urban, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Josh Lawson as Kano, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Adeline Rudolph as Kitana, Tati Gabrielle as Jade, Damon Herriman as Quan Chi, Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion.
Mortal Kombat II is rated R, runs 1 hour and 56 minutes, and opens in theatres and IMAX across North America on May 8, 2026.
Comments
Post a Comment
Comments are moderated. Please stay respectful and on topic.