Mortal Kombatis gearing up to be one of the most anticipated films in the Warner Bros. and HBO Max streaming partnership, as the movie’s viral trailer showed just how faithful it wants to be to the source material. However, director Simon McQuoid is pretty self-aware of the dangers that might pose for those unfamiliar with the time travel disaster brought on by Raiden to define theMortal Kombatuniverse.
So despiteMortal Kombat’strailer being packed with easter eggsand references to the franchise’s lore, being a reboot film opens the door for audiences to become acquainted with all the fighters at the same pace, an opportunity McQuoid is eager to seize. WithMortal Kombatreportedly already lining up potential movie sequels in case the first one proves to be a success, producers will want to verify to get this video game movie done the right way.
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During an interview with CinemaBlend on the set ofMortal Kombatback in 2019, McQuoid recognized how important it is for the movie not to alienate those who are foreign to the video games, and that’s why he “wanted every character to have their introduction.” By doing this, the director intends for viewers to get a proper origin story for each fighter, just like it’s usually done in the Marvel Cinematic Universe or even in someMortal Kombatgames.
TheMortal Kombattraileralone already suggests some alternate takes on a few characters' beginnings, such a Jax losing his arms after being on the receiving end of a fatality from Sub-Zero instead of Ermac or Kano apparently being one of Earthrealm’s good guys, even if he’s certain to flip sides as soon as he gets the chance. For McQuoid, this forced him to think over sequences twice as he found himself balancing fan service in a way that wouldn’t just land forMortal Kombat 9fans.
This is perhaps one of the reasons whyMortal Kombatwould appear to place much of its plot focus on newcomer Cole Young, a seemingly ordinary human branded with a familiar dragon-shaped birthmark, who’s destined to fight against Outworld for a mysterious reason that not even franchise co-creator Ed Boon himself might know. The same could be said ofScorpion’s usage in theMortal Kombattrailer, as he and Sub-Zero get the starring roles they deserve as the franchise’s most widely recognized characters.
Even if the Shirai Ryu and Lin Kuei ninjas are quite popular, it’s great to see McQuoid catering to all. Everyone has that one friend who talks a lot during movies,Mortal Kombatis making sure nobody has to play catch up with the plot, thus ensuring a quieter yet brutal and bloody experience.
Mortal Kombatis planned for release in theaters and on HBO Max starting June 27, 2025.
