‘Mortal Kombat II’ Writer Teases Brutal Fatalities, Huge Character Returns & Massive Sequel Plans

Mortal Kombat II writer Jeremy Slater is already looking far beyond the sequel’s brutal fights and shocking deaths. Following the movie’s strong opening weekend at the box office, Slater is opening up about the future of the franchise, major character returns, and the long list of fighters he wants to bring into future movies and spinoffs.

Speaking with Variety, Slater explained that Mortal Kombat II was designed to finally give fans what they wanted after the 2021 film avoided showing the actual tournament. This time, the movie fully embraces the deadly battles, iconic characters, and over-the-top fatalities from the games.

One of the biggest additions in the sequel is Johnny Cage, played by Karl Urban. Slater said he wanted the character to feel more emotional and broken instead of only serving as comic relief.

“If you start him in a low place, he has plenty of room to grow and succeed,” Slater explained while discussing Johnny’s story arc.

The sequel also introduces Kitana, Baraka, and Shao Kahn while bringing back several characters from the first movie through resurrection storylines. According to Slater, figuring out who lived and died became one of the hardest parts of writing the script.

“It is a tournament to the death, so you have to make those tough calls,” he said.

One of the movie’s biggest surprises is the death of Cole Young, the main character from the 2021 film. Slater admitted he originally pitched the idea before officially landing the writing job. He explained that many fans never fully accepted Cole because he was not one of the classic game characters.

Still, Slater praised actor Lewis Tan and hinted that fans may not have seen the last of him.

“Death is never permanent in the Mortal Kombat universe,” Slater teased.

Another massive moment in the film is the apparent death of Liu Kang. Slater confirmed that the fan-favorite fighter, played by Ludi Lin, is expected to return in Mortal Kombat III in some form.

“We always knew that we would be bringing Liu Kang back in some regard in the third movie,” Slater said.

He also confirmed that Kano’s return was non-negotiable for him because actor Josh Lawson was one of his favorite parts of the first movie.

Looking ahead, Slater revealed he is already working on Mortal Kombat III and has huge plans for the franchise if future films continue to succeed. He compared his dream for Mortal Kombat to the Fast & Furious series, where the main movies continue while side stories and spinoffs expand the universe.

Slater mentioned several characters he wants to explore further in future movies and possible spinoffs. He specifically named Johnny Cage, Kano, Kung Lao, Liu Kang, Kitana, Jade, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Baraka, Jax, and Sonya Blade as fighters he wants to focus on more. He also mentioned possible stories inspired by Special Forces, Deadly Alliance, and Shaolin Monks from the games.

He even admitted there are “dozens of characters” he hopes to bring into live-action over time.

“The sky is the limit,” Slater said while discussing the future of the franchise.

With Mortal Kombat II already delivering brutal fatalities, major surprises, and classic characters, it sounds like Warner Bros. and New Line may only be getting started with this universe.

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