The new live-action Mortal Kombat movie's official synopsis has revealed some further details about Lewis Tan’s original character Cole Young. Cole will be a brand new addition to Mortal Kombat, having never appeared before in the popular video game series. Mortal Kombat is set to release in theaters on April 16, in theaters and on HBO Max, with a cast that includes Hiroyuki Sanada, Joe Taslim, Ludi Lin, and Jessica McNamee.
The universe of Mortal Kombat has accumulated dozens of fighters over eleven core games and numerous spinoffs. When Tan was first announced to be starring in the new film in a mystery role, fans began speculating on which classic character he might be playing. All those theories turned out to be null and void when recent first-look images for Mortal Kombat revealed Tan would be playing a brand new character named Cole Young, never before seen in the video games.
More details about Cole and his ties to the classic MK characters have been revealed thanks to the film’s official synopsis. “MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage,” the synopsis begins, before detailing the strange birthmark that ends up sending Cole to train with Lord Raiden for the Mortal Kombat tournament. It seems that all fighters destined for the tournament are marked from birth with the same symbol, suggesting Cole could have some ties to great warriors of the past. Read the full synopsis below.
“MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage—or why Outworld’s Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family’s safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana—the immense power from within his soul—in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?”
There are several other interesting tidbits in this synopsis, such as Kano’s apparent allegiance (or at least peace) with Raiden, references to “arcana” being the source of Mortal Kombatants’ power, and an apparent change turning Shang Tsung from the chief sorcerer of Outworld to the realm’s actual emperor. Overall, it seems like the movie is sticking pretty strictly to the plot and structure of the original games, with minor alterations here and there to help condense things for a single film runtime.
Incorporating the Mortal Kombat birthmarks explains how Tan’s Cole comes to meet with Raiden and train for the tournament, but it doesn’t explain his “heritage,” as referenced in the synopsis. That could suggest, given how long the battle between Earthrealm and Outworld has raged, that Cole has some direct yet unknown connection to a particular character from the past, like Sub-Zero or Scorpion. Those secrets will be revealed when Mortal Kombat releases on April 16.
Source: Warner Bros.
