Considering how there wasn’t even a Mortal Kombat tournament in the 2021 movie, the reboot of the series is clearly trying to set up a long-lasting franchise, and it does an incredible job. Mortal Kombat (2021) left a trail of breadcrumbs to a sequel with hints to other characters and loads of Easter eggs.
Whether or not a sequel will actually happen is touch and go, as critics were mixed at best on the movie, but fans love it. On top of that, its performance at the worldwide box office wasn’t the most ideal, but that might have something to do with the movie going straight to HBO Max too. However, there are enough reasons why Warner Bros. should green light a sequel, regardless of statistics.
All Of The Characters Yet To Be Introduced
The new reboot treated fans to so many more characters than what was necessary, as there was a perfect mix of fan favorites and deep cuts from the games. However, the Mortal Kombat lineup is so dense, as there are over 60 playable characters across all of the video games, and many fans are arguing over who should appear in the sequel.
From Kortal Khan to the Native American Nightwolf, both of which were referenced in the movie, there are so many iconic characters that were sidelined in the first movie.
The Possibility Of Expanding The Multiverse
With so much talk of multiverses these days, whether it’s the Spider-Verse or the multiverse in the MCU, it has been a part of the Mortal Kombat games for decades now.
The games have seen legendary movie monsters and superheroes fight in the tournament that general audiences wouldn’t have a clue about, including Superman, Alien, and Robocop, among many others. Though the idea of it happening is a far cry, the Robocop and Alien series are on their last legs, given the movies’ diminishing returns at the box office, so Mortal Kombat could be the vehicle to bring them back to the fold, as strange as it seems.
Try Again With Goro
For the most part, all of the beloved characters that were adapted from the games for the movie served a purpose and were accurately depicted. Having said that, the most grueling exception of that statement is Goro, the four-armed giant. He is one of the most memorable Mortal Kombat characters of all time, not to mention the most powerful in the very first game.
He was the former champion of the entire tournament, so when he appears to fight Cole Young for a couple of minutes, only to get kicked in the nether regions in an almost comedic moment, it’s as much of a kick in the nether regions to some fans. But as it’s easy to bring anyone back from the dead in this universe, the first on the list should be Goro.
Fans Want More Kano
Kano is to Mortal Kombat what Jack Sparrow is to the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Whether it’s his instantly classic insults or the way he carries himself, the Australian native is hilariously hateful and constantly switches sides, seemingly going with who he thinks is going to win.
He is again another character who was killed, but he was the only character who actually had any personality, and actor Josh Lawson was by far the best actor in the movie, outshining anyone he shared a scene with.
There Are Still So Many Rivalries Unexplored
Mortal Kombat wasn’t exactly the most well-received movie when it comes to critics, but audiences and fans of the games loved it, as the rivalry between Scorpion and Sub-Zero was so brilliantly explored, and it had a surprising amount of depth.
But with there being so many characters in the game, there are an enormous amount of rivalries that could be explored for a seemingly infinite amount of sequels. From Johnny Cage and Goro (another reason why he should return), to Kitana and Sindel, their rivalries are already written and waiting to be adapted.
There Hasn’t Been An Actual Mortal Kombat Tournament Yet
Despite being called Mortal Kombat, there isn’t actually any Mortal Kombat tournament in the movie. It follows the Outworld Realm trying to kill all of the Earthrealm contestants before they get their arcanas and train for battle so that they don’t actually have to fight.
The writer of the movie, Greg Russo, has said that he sees this as the first of a trilogy, where the first entry is pre-tournament, the second movie is the tournament itself, and the third movie is the aftermath. A whole two-hour movie that features one battle after another could make for the very first great video game movie.
The Soundtrack
Along with fatalities, the creative characters, and the one-liners, one of the most iconic elements that makes up for Mortal Kombat’s celebrated status is the score. No other video game song has gotten players more pumped to fight and break bones than the Mortal Kombat theme.
Its electronic, trancy, adrenaline fuelled beat would have been worth the price of admission alone, but the song doesn’t come until the end credits of the new movie, and even then, it’s a dubstep remix. The punchy beat appears briefly when Scorpion returns in the final act, but a sequel needs to happen to rectify this problem at the very least.
Johnny Cage Was Hinted At
One thing the new movie expertly did was hold back on things that would have easily gotten fans excited, and reserve them for the sequel. Instead of throwing everything on the screen, the movie used lesser-known fighters in order to keep the very best characters for the sequels.
Being a parody of movie stars and breaking the fourth wall during his fatalities in the game, Johnny Cage is often seen as the most beloved character in the series. He is Mortal Kombat’s very own Deadpool. As Mortal Kombat ended, it panned over to a movie poster, and though it didn’t show his face, Johnny Cage’s name was scrawled across it, hinting at his introduction in the sequel.
Scorpion’s Return
There’s no way that Scorpion can remain dead, as he’s the most notable thing about the whole movie and undoubtedly has the most memorable lines. The moment he shouted “Get over here” when he grabbed Sub Zero with his kunai was what every fan was waiting for.
As Scorpion returned from hell in the movie to get vengeance for his family’s death, it was the only arc that had any stakes amongst all of the laughs and excitement. And the movie needs a modicum of emotional pull.
More Fatalities
The biggest difference between the new movie and the 1995 adaptation is the way in which they approach violence. Though fatalities are Mortal Kombat’s unique selling point, they were shamefully absent in the original movie so that it could be PG-13.
However, the 2021 movie doesn’t hold back, and it features some of the bloodiest and creative fatalities imaginable. But there are still hundreds more from the video games that need to be adapted for the big screen. From Sonya Blade snapping enemies in half with her feet to Scorpion ripping out people’s spines, though Mortal Kombat was gruesome, it was still holding back relative to the games.