Summary
Mortal Kombatactor Lewis Tan defends his polarizing new character Cole Young. The 2021 reboot, directed by Simon McQuoid, followed Cole as he joined the greatest fighters of Earthrealm to defeat Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim) and various Outworld threats.Mortal Kombathad a modest theatrical release amid its COVID-19 release, though it quickly found success on Max. Some audiences, however, criticized the introduction of Cole,a protagonistwho didn’t exist in the video games.Despite that response, the character will return forMortal Kombat 2, along with Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Jackson Briggs (Mehcad Brooks), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) and others.
During an interview withScreen RantatSan Diego Comic Con, Tan defended hisMortal Kombatcharacter. He explained why “it’s not that controversial” to feature Cole,noting that additions have been made to theMortal Kombatvideo games, while also teasing that audiences are going to be “very surprised” by his story in the upcoming sequel. Read Tan’s comments below:
Well, it was quite controversial to have a new character in the film, but I think actually, in my opinion, it’s not that controversial, because the Mortal Kombat game started with only a few characters. Nowadays, there’s 100-plus characters, so they’re not new to adding new characters to the film. And yeah, you’ll have to wait and see what kind of journey goes down, but I think people are going to be very surprised.
Why Cole Young Became So Divisive In Mortal Kombat
The New Character Is Also Connected To Scorpion
Previous live-action adaptations ofMortal Kombatfocused on popular characters from the video game franchise, including Johnny Cage and Kitana. BecauseCole Young’s storylineoriginated in theMortal Kombatreboot, fans were skeptical about how it would change the source material, or whether his inclusion would be featured in later installments. Cole was an MMA fighter attempting to protect his family while being targeted by Outworld forces andthe movie eventually revealed that he was related to Scorpion(Hiroyuki Sanada), another major character from the games.
Cole’s connection to Scorpion, and the film’s exploration of his background, led to some divisive reactions towards Tan’s character. Also, the 2021 reboot never included the eponymous tournament, and instead focused on Cole and other fighters as they combated Shang Tsung’s (Chin Han) efforts, which further upset audiences familiar with the video games. There was even speculation thatCole might replace Johnny Cage, but it was confirmedthat the action star would be incorporated inMortal Kombat 2.
The Boysstar Karl Urban will portray Johnny Cage inMortal Kombat 2.
It is interesting to hear Tan’s perspective regarding the introduction of hisMortal Kombatcharacter and his defense makes sense, considering all the faces added after the first game debuted. Looking ahead, it’s worth wondering how the sequel will continue Cole’s storyline, particularly as Tan’s latest comments suggest that it could be more positively received. WithMortal Kombat 2expected to include more familiar faces from the games, and the tournament itself, it will also be interesting to see if it resonates better with critics as well as audiences.
Mortal Kombat
Cast
Mortal Kombat is a 2021 film featuring Cole Young, a washed-up MMA fighter who discovers his heritage and joins Earth’s champions. Tasked with defending against Emperor Shang Tsung’s formidable warrior, Sub-Zero, Cole undergoes training for a critical battle against the forces of Outworld to protect the universe.
