'Mortal Kombat 2' Incorporating The Tournament Teased by Franchise Creator: "There Are Huge Consequences"

There was much to admire about the 2021 live-actionMortal Kombatfilm, as the project earned a respectable $84 million at the box office against a budget of $55 million. One of its points of criticism was the lack of the iconic Mortal Kombat tournament itself, which pits Earthrealm warriors against those from Outworld. It is a flaw that will not be leveled at the upcoming sequel asMortal Kombat 2is set to bring the tournament in all its full glory. Looking ahead, franchise co-creatorEd Boonreveals how the sequel will weave the franchise’s iconic tournament into the plot and how it drastically raises the stakes for the characters.

Mortal Kombat 2will seethe introduction of Shao Kahn, who will be played by Martyn Ford. Wielding his Wrath Hammer, Kahn is known as the emperor of Outworld who seeks the conquest of Earthrealm, and a window of opportunity exists with the iconic tournament. Boon, speaking in an interview withEntertainment Weekly, reveals that the score of the tournament will be kept throughout the movie, and there will be a visual representation of this. Boon confirms that the tournament comes with real stakes that will shape the direction of the movie, and future installments in the franchise. Boon’s comments read:

“They keep score throughout the movie. There’s a visual representation of who is winning…. It’s not just a tournament for the sake of a tournament. There are huge consequences, so you really are keeping score. And there are a lot of twists in it that keep you on your toes.”

This ‘Mortal Kombat’ Tournament is a Significant One

The significance of the tournament will not be lost on Earthrealm’s heroes, such asLewis Tan’s Cole Young,Jessica McNamee’s Sonya Blade, andKarl Urban’sJohnny Cage, among others. Should Earthrealm lose a 10th consecutive tournament against Outworld, Shao Kahn will have the license to invade and take over the world. The tournament is set to draw combatants from the world of the living and the dead, as dead characters such as Kung Lao (Max Huang) andJosh Lawson’s Kano, a former defender of Earthrealm,will be returning from the dead to do battle.

Mortal Kombatsaw an intense exchange of blows and attempts to destroy one another between ancient warriors, Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim). Their clashes in the 2021 film were one of the highlights of the project. Looking ahead, Tan, who plays Cole Young, a descendant of Scorpion,previously promised even more gory, intense battle scenes. “For the sequel, I can promise many more fights, much longer fights.It’s very gory, it’s very bloody.There’s a tournament in this one. That’s all I can say before they get mad at me. I’m very excited for fans to see it,” he revealed at the time.