The upcoming Mortal Kombat 2 will include a totally different and infinitely more powerful version of the Sub-Zero Mortal Kombat 2021 introduced. Despite mixed critical reception to the rebooted movie franchise, Warner Bros has officially green-lit Mortal Kombat 2, a decision owed in no small part to the franchise reboot's streaming success that made Mortal Kombat HBO Max's most-watched theatrical release of the year. This means Mortal Kombat 2 is now set to pick up immediately after the events of the prior film as Earthrealm's warriors seek out new recruits and the sorcerer Shang Tsung (Chin Han) re-gathers his strength after the death of his fearsome lieutenant Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim).
Sub-Zero is one of the most iconic and feared characters in the Mortal Kombat canon, with Joe Taslim's incarnation immediately announcing his prowess by killing Hanzo Hasashi (Hiroyuki Sanada) in Mortal Kombat 2021's opening sequence. Originally a warrior from the Lin Kuei clan, Mortal Kombat 2021's new canon establishes Sub-Zero as an overpowered entity able to control ice in many forms following his successful assassination of Hanzo. While Hanzo and his descendant Cole Young (Lewis Tan) are able to best Sub-Zero before Scorpion immolates him with a hellfire Fatality, those familiar with Mortal Kombat lore know that the Lin Kuei's leader is likely far from finished in the rebooted movie series in one form or another.
As a result, Sub-Zero will be totally different in Mortal Kombat 2, with the Bi-Han revealed in the opening Mortal Kombat 2021 sequence to be the elder Sub-Zero who becomes Noob Saibot canonically. This upcoming lineage reveal will not only allow Joe Taslim's Sub-Zero to feature again in Mortal Kombat 2 (albeit a radically changed one), but also explains why Sub-Zero was present in both 17th Century feudal Japan and modern-day America. Furthermore, Noob Saibot's ability to mimic all Mortal Kombat canon ninjas and deflect blows in the form of an undead wraith ensures that Mortal Kombat 2's new Sub-Zero will also be even more powerful than the fearsome character seen in Mortal Kombat 2021.
First introduced as a hidden opponent in Mortal Kombat II, Noob Saibot has since been depicted as a spectral presence capable of mimicking any of the ninjas featured in Mortal Kombat video games. His backstory is further expanded upon in Mortal Kombat: Deception, where he is revealed as Bi-Han, the elder Sub-Zero used in the original 1992 Mortal Kombat game before being replaced with a younger model. Mortal Kombat lore states that following the original Bi-Han's death, the demon Quan Chi forced his soul into the ghostly Noob Saibot's form and grants him the power of mimicry, while his younger brother, Kuai Liang, takes up the mantle of Sub-Zero and becomes the icy character synonymous with the Mortal Kombat franchise today.
Following the younger Sub-Zero's death at the end of Mortal Kombat 2021, the upcoming sequel can introduce the immensely powerful Noob Saibot (and original Sub-Zero) in several ways. The first Sub-Zero may return to avenge his younger brother, or Mortal Kombat 2 may choose to use Sub-Zero's death as a jumping-off point for Bi-Han's journey into fusing with Noob Saibot's form. Either way, this will introduce a Sub-Zero to Mortal Kombat 2 that is not only radically different from the first but also immeasurably more powerful, spelling trouble for Earthrealm and Outworld's champions alike.