Mortal Kombat 2bringing back Kano could be the key to expanding the live-actionMortal Kombatto a multiversal scale. The upcomingMortal Kombat 2is set to bring back plenty of the fighters from the first film, as well as introduce new characters like Karl Urban’s take on Johnny Cage. This even seems to be extending to some characters who didn’t survive the events of the first film, including Josh Lawson’s swaggering Australian villain, Kano.
t
The confirmation that Kano will be part ofMortal Kombat 2’s cast of characterssuggests that the film will be introducing some form of world-bending supernatural element. This could be tied to the kind of sorcery that occurs all throughout the series, such as through the dark magical abilities of Shang Tsung. However, there’s a chance the source ofKano’s revival inMortal Kombat 2could be a means to bring the film universe closer in-line with the modernMortal Kombatgames, which have gone full multiversal.
Kano’s Mortal Kombat 2 Return Will Expand The Cinematic Universe
Kano’s Return InMortal Kombat 2Will Have To Avoid Simply Retconning The Original Movie
Mortal Kombat 2will bring back Kano despite his death in the previous film, which could be key to bringing the films to the game. InMortal Kombat, the heroes of Earthrealm are located and trained to take part in anupcoming cosmic tournamentfor the survival of their world. Among the warriors introduced in the first film was the criminal Kano, who was able to unlock his full potential and ultimately threw in with the villainous Shang Tsung. This led to his final battle with Sonya Blade, which ended in his death and her empowerment from his Dragon Mark.
Mortal Kombat 2’s Villain Return Sets Up 3 Big Characters In The Sequel
Joe Taslim has been teased to return for Mortal Kombat 2, and if Bi-Han is in the sequel, this sets up three major characters from Mortal Kombat lore.
Despite this,Josh Lawson has been confirmed to be returning forMortal Kombat 2as Kano, which will bring the surviving fighters deeper into conflict against Otherworld. There are multiple ways Kano could factor into the film, many of which would expand the scope of the cinematicMortal Kombatuniverse. There could be some time-travel at play, or magical resurrection through the power of characters like Shang Tsung. Kano could have been sent to Netherworld, a hellish plane that has been opened before. This could even be a way to makeMortal Kombatmultiversal, directly tying it to the games.
How Mortal Kombat’s Multiverse Could Impact The MK Movies
Mortal Kombat 1Established A Multiverse That The Films Could Embrace
Mortal Kombat 1, the latest entry in the long-running videogame, established an overt multiverse storylinefor the franchise. After a climactic battle with Shang Tsung and Kronika inMortal Kombat 11, Liu Kang gained nearly omnipotent power and reshaped the universe. However, this elevated him and his allies into a new level of conflict, as other empowered fighters from variant realities waged war on one another. This multiversal approach has already allowed for dozens of new stories and unexpected character fusions within theMortal Kombatgames' story.
This kind of reveal inMortal Kombat 2could easily justify a new version of Kano appearing in the film, keeping his previous death canon while allowing him to reappear in the film continuity. Fully tying the live-action films to the grander scope of the game’s multiverse could be a fun way to continue expanding the live-action version of the franchise, setting up all sorts of potential future directions and characters to focus on.
Mortal Kombat Could Be The Latest Cross-Media Multiverse
Plenty Of Multiverses Are Being Used To Bridge Film, TV, And Beyond
In recent years, the multiverse has increasingly been used as a means of expanding franchises and IP beyond singular mediums. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has broadened beyond films to television, and James Gunn’s DCU promises to tie together the worlds of film, television and video games to create a singular continuity. This is especially true for other video game adaptations likeArcaneandFallout, which take place in the same universe as their games.Mortal Kombatmay be attempting to do something similar, potentially setting up other dimensions where variants of characters like Kano could easily appear.
1995
1997
2021
Mortal Kombat 2
2025
Mortal Kombat 2could bring back Kano through the introduction of alternate realities, potentially forcing the heroes of Earthrealm to deal with a more dangerous variant of an enemy they’ve already beaten. This could open the door for the film universe to fully interact with the games, setting up larger crossovers between different versions of the various characters. It would be a wild escalation of the film’s universe, but might be the key to elevating the live-actionMortal Kombat’s potential story directions, especially if the films continue beyondMortal Kombat 2.
Mortal Kombat II
Cast
Mortal Kombat II: A sequel to the 2021 film Mortal Kombat, this movie continues the saga of Earth’s champions as they face new threats from the Outworld. Building on the original’s mythical universe, the film delves deeper into the lore of the Mortal Kombat tournament and its legendary fighters.
