The blood-soaked trailer for 2021's Mortal Kombat reboot is now out, and it confirms that a Kano retcon the original movie began will stay intact. 2020 was a very strange year, and so far, 2021 is shaping up to be another highly unusual 365 days. That extends to Warner Bros.' revolutionary and unprecedented plan to release its entire 2021 slate of blockbuster theatrical releases into both whatever theaters are open and willing to show them, and for streaming through its subscription service HBO Max.
This includes the upcoming movie reboot of the Mortal Kombat franchise, which - while going through some ups and downs - has managed to keep itself almost perpetually popular in the realm of video games. Its last few games have been especially well-received, and now might well be the perfect time for gaming's most infamous fighting tournament to take another shot at big screen success. One thing the reboot already has working in its favor is an R-rating, allowing it to showcase the gory fatalities the games are known for.
That said, it shouldn't be underestimated how successful the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie was, and just how well-remembered it is by fans. The reboot would be wise not to dismiss that appreciation, and one aspect they're wisely not doing that with is Kano, who underwent a noticeable character change in the 1995 movie, and it's thankfully being kept intact.
Mortal Kombat Reboot Continues The Original Movie's Kano Retcon
In Mortal Kombat's original video game canon, Kano was a criminal of Japanese-American heritage, which makes sense, as the Black Dragon organization certainly sounds like it could be related to the Yakuza. However, that all changed after the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie. Kano was played onscreen by English actor Trevor Goddard, who for whatever reason, decided to play the character with a thick Australian accent. Goddard's Kano portrayal proved popular, leading future Mortal Kombat video games to retcon his background into being an Australian.
It wasn't just the nationality and accent that future Mortal Kombat games took from Goddard's version of Kano, either, also adopting his longer hair and facial hair to varying degrees. Before the 1995 movie, Kano had usually been presented as bald or with a very thin layer of hair. While the casting of Australian actor Josh Lawson as Kano in Mortal Kombat's 2021 reboot suggested that the Australian retconning of Kano would remain included, the recent trailer for the movie confirmed it, with Lawson's Kano speaking in an Australian accent. He already has thick hair and a full beard, so the Goddard-inspired makeover of Kano looks to be permanent even outside of the games, reinforcing the lasting legacy and popularity of the original 1995 film.
