I’m Revisiting The Old Mortal Kombat Games, And I Really Hope The Next Movies Include These 6 Things

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I grew up during the height of the Mortal Kombat craze, and I’ve always been a fan. With the new Mortal Kombat II movie coming out in 2026, I revisited the original games using the Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection, and it made me start thinking about…

I’m really excited about the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie and a potential third film, and I’d love to see elements from the classic Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat III included. I’m hoping for accurate portrayals of beloved characters, storylines adapted from those older games, and, of course, those famous finishing moves!

First Off, I Need To See An Actual Mortal Kombat Tournament

While I liked the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie better than many critics, it still felt incomplete. The biggest disappointment was the absence of the actual Mortal Kombat tournament that’s central to the games. The film hinted at a proper, bracket-style competition between Earthrealm and Outworld champions, but instead showed only scattered, unofficial fights.

The new Mortal Kombat II movie is based on the original 1993 arcade game, and I’m hoping it stays truer to the source material than the first film. While I wouldn’t be upset if they left out some of the iconic locations like the Portal, the Tower, or Kahn’s Arena, seeing those places would be really exciting.

Shao Kahn Has To Look Like The Badass From The Games

While some people actually like Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, I definitely don’t. It was neat seeing so many characters together on screen for the time (over 20 years before Avengers: Endgame came out), but many of the powerful characters were portrayed as surprisingly foolish. A prime example is how they ruined Shao Kahn – after he dramatically killed Johnny Cage at the beginning, he was made to look weak and ineffective.

Players familiar with the Mortal Kombat series know that Shao Kahn, often the last boss, is a truly powerful villain. For the upcoming Mortal Kombat II and its continuation to succeed, Kahn needs to feel like a major threat – on the scale of Thanos, not a character who’s unsure whether to be comedic or intimidating. I’m fine with his signature laughing taunt, as long as he’s also a brutal and dangerous opponent.

The Third Movie Is Going To Be Shao Kahn Invading Earthrealm, Right?

While not as highly regarded as the earlier Mortal Kombat games, Mortal Kombat III (released in 1995) offered a fresh take on the series – especially the Ultimate version, which included characters that had been left out originally. For years, I’ve really enjoyed how the game depicted the aftermath of Shao Kahn’s invasion of Earthrealm, after he found a way to launch his attack.

I’m not hoping for another overly complicated plot to explain how Shao Kahn invades Earth in the next Mortal Kombat movie, but I think it would be awesome to see a ruined Earth defended by the remaining heroes. We could also introduce some really cool characters from the game, and imagine how amazing levels like Rooftop, Bank, and Subway would look on the big screen! I’m really excited about this possibility.

We Need More Fatalities!

The deaths in the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie weren’t bad, but they could have been much more impactful. I’d love to see the next films really push the boundaries with over-the-top and brutal character deaths. However, let’s skip the finishing moves like “Brutalities” and “Babalities” from the old Mortal Kombat III arcade game. Those were fun back in the day – mastering them meant bragging rights and probably a few accusations of cheating on the playground!

I don’t expect to see Cole Young or Johnny Cage going on a deep quest to unlock an Animality like Liu Kang did in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, but it would be great if the new movie included a nod to this classic and memorable part of the series.

I Will Be Shocked If We Don’t See Reptile At Some Point

Fans have seen Scorpion and Sub-Zero in recent games, and Noob Saibot is coming soon, but what about another classic ninja from the Mortal Kombat series – Reptile? He first appeared as a hidden, difficult-to-unlock opponent in the original 1992 game, and later became a playable character in Mortal Kombat II. Since then, Reptile has remained just as popular as his fellow ninjas.

Since Reptile wasn’t in the first movie, I’d be very surprised if he doesn’t appear in one of the next two. He’d be a fantastic addition – with powers like invincibility, venom spitting, and strong attacks, he’d really bring something special to the films.

More Than Anything, I Want More Callbacks To The Franchise’s Early Days

Look, I really enjoy the newer Mortal Kombat games – they’ve definitely evolved the series in exciting ways. But honestly? I still have a huge soft spot for the classics. The modern games look amazing and play so smoothly, there’s no denying that. But there’s just something about the originals that hits differently – that’s the power of nostalgia for you!

I’ve been replaying the Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection constantly for the last week, and it’s made me think about how great it would be if the upcoming movies drew inspiration from those older games. Some might call that catering to fans, but honestly, that’s often what we want from these kinds of movies.

I have no idea what the new Mortal Kombat II movie will be like, but I’m excited to find out when it comes out next May. Until then, I’ll just have to keep getting frustrated with the unfair computer opponents in the Mortal Kombat Legacy Kollection.

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2025-12-01 15:09