This fall, if you hear "Finish him!" yelled from a nearby movie theater, there's no need to worry — it's just the long-awaited return of MORTAL KOMBAT. The venerable video game fighting series is coming back to the multiplex in MORTAL KOMBAT 2, which is the sequel to the 2021 movie that relaunched the series on the big screen. (Well, mostly on the big screen, as the 2021 MK was released in the "day and date" era in which Warner Bros. movies went to theaters and streaming on the same day.)
MORTAL KOMBAT 2 recruits a new star — Karl Urban — to play core Kombat character Johnny Cage. It will also reportedly hinge on a martial arts tournament, the outcome of which will determine the fate of the world. The tournament is central to the MK games but doesn't always end up at the core of the movies. So will MORTAL KOMBAT 2 be the most Kombat-ive of the movies so far? Let's find out. Fight!
Mortal Kombat 2 Opens in October
New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures will release MORTAL KOMBAT 2 on October 24, 2025.
Is There a Trailer for Mortal Kombat 2?
Not yet! We're waiting for the first footage. But a teaser poster, showing Urban as Johnny Cage, has been released. So it might not be long before we see something new.
The Overall Story of Mortal Kombat
The games and movies all play with some version of a story that features beings from a dimension called Outworld seeking dominion over Earth. But they can't just invade—they've got to win the right to rule Earth in a tournament called Mortal Kombat. (The Elder Gods who created the realms laid down this law.) So groups of warriors periodically face off against one another — and often try to eliminate the competition before the Kombat even begins.
A Recap of the Mortal Kombat Movie Series
There are three — soon to be four — live-action MORTAL KOMBAT movies. They make up two separate storylines, each with a different approach to adapting the video games.
Mortal Kombat (1995)
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Release Date: August 18, 1995
Primary Cast: Robin Shou (Liu Kang), Linden Ashby (Johnny Cage), Bridgette Wilson (Sonya Blade), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Shang Tsung), Christopher Lambert (Raiden)
Made and released when the original "Mortal Kombat" video game was still a recent arcade sensation but video game movies were in their relative infancy, MORTAL KOMBAT marked the big studio debut of director Paul Thomas Anderson. The movie somewhat preserves the tournament structure of the games, as warriors from Earth are chosen to compete in an interdimensional tournament. Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade are guided by Raiden to defeat the forces of Outworld's sorcerer Shang Tsung. If Outworld wins ten consecutive tournaments, they can invade Earth. The heroes overcome personal challenges and face increasingly dangerous opponents, culminating in Liu Kang defeating Shang Tsung and saving Earth from invasion.
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997)
Director: John R. Leonetti
Release Date: November 21, 1997
Primary Cast: Robin Shou (Liu Kang), Talisa Soto (Kitana), Sandra Hess (Sonya Blade), James Remar (Raiden), Brian Thompson (Shao Kahn)
Immediately following the first tournament, Outworld Emperor Shao Kahn illegally invades Earth, giving our heroes six days to stop him. Raiden, Liu Kang, Sonya, and Kitana must find and reunite with their allies while battling Kahn's extermination squads. The team faces betrayal and devastating losses as they race against time. In the final confrontation, Liu Kang transforms into a dragon to defeat Shao Kahn, sending the emperor and his forces back to Outworld.
Mortal Kombat (2021)
Director: Simon McQuoid
Release Date: April 23, 2021
Primary Cast: Lewis Tan (Cole Young), Jessica McNamee (Sonya Blade), Josh Lawson (Kano), Tadanobu Asano (Raiden), Hiroyuki Sanada (Scorpion/Hanzo Hasashi), Joe Taslim (Sub-Zero/Bi-Han)
Cole Young, a struggling MMA fighter with a mysterious dragon birthmark, discovers he's descended from champion Hanzo Hasashi (Scorpion) and is hunted by Sub-Zero. He joins other marked champions training with Raiden to defend Earthrealm in a coming tournament. When Outworld's Shang Tsung preemptively attacks Earth's champions, Cole awakens his arcana powers and, with help from the resurrected Scorpion, defeats Sub-Zero, uniting Earth's warriors for the true tournament ahead.
Mortal Kombat 2
Director: Simon McQuoid
Release Date: October 24, 2025
Primary Cast: Karl Urban (Johnny Cage), Adeline Rudolph (Kitana), Jessica McNamee (Sonya Blade), Josh Lawson as Kano, Ludi Lin (Liu Kang), Mehcad Brooks (Jackson "Jax" Briggs), Tati Gabrielle (Jade), Lewis Tan (Cole Young), Damon Herriman (Quan Chi), Chin Han (Shang Tsung), Tadanobu Asano (Lord Raiden), Joe Taslim (Bi-Han / Noob Saibot), Hiroyuki Sanada (Hanzo Hasashi / Scorpion), Martyn Ford (Shao Kahn)
The last movie ended with Cole heading off to track down Johnny Cage in preparation for the beginning of the tournament. Cage isn't the only additional fighter this time, either, as characters like Kitana and Noob Saibot join the fray. We'll lean more about MORTAL KOMBAT 2 when the first trailer arrives.
MORTAL KOMBAT 2 opens on October 24
All images courtesy of New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. Pictures.