Mortal Kombat 2 begins filming in Australia later this month. So it’s no wonder the cast list for the sequel keeps filling up. Following the announcement of Lord of the Rings and The Boys fan favorite Karl Urban as action star and martial artist Johnny Cage, and Netflix duo Adeline Rudolph and Tati Gabrielle (“Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina”) as Kitana and Jade, there are now four newcomers.
Fans of the gory brawler franchise will be especially happy to know that Mortal Kombat 2 will finally feature the mighty Shao Khan. As in the video game series and its first film adaptation by Paul WS Anderson, the Emperor of the dark kingdom of Outworld was not featured in the first installment, but is now likely to become the main villain in the sequel.
And an actor has already been found: Actor and bodybuilder Martin Ford plays Shao Khan in Mortal Kombat 2 – and certainly has the necessary formidable stature:
The six-foot giant is known, among other things, as John Cena’s henchman in “Fast & Furious 9” or as the sinister guardian of hell Squatterbloat in the Netflix series “The Sandman”. He also recently starred in the action comedy The Machine alongside Star Wars icon Mark Hamill. He will also be part of the upcoming remake of “Red Sonja”.
The other new arrivals for “Mortal Kombat 2”
While Martyn Ford as Shao Khan is arguably the most exciting new addition to the Mortal Kombat sequel, according to several US trade publications, there are also three other new cast members who will be joining the cast. They, too, take on the role of characters who are no strangers to video game connoisseurs:
- Desmond Chiam (“The Falcon And The Winter Soldier”) plays Jerrodthe king of the paradise kingdom of Edenia.
- Ana Thu Nguyen (“The Spy Who Never Dies”) plays Sindelthe queen of Edenia.
- Damon Hermann (played Charles Manson in Mindhunter AND Once Upon A Time In Hollywood) plays the evil Netherrealm demon and wizard Quan chi.
Comments on the story of “Mortal Kombat 2”
What exactly “Mortal Kombat 2” will be about is not yet known. However, it is very likely that this time we will actually see the tournament of the same name, after the fighters of Outworld and the Earthrealm had already clashed in advance in the first part, as Outworld wanted to secure victory in advance in the brutal competition, which the Empire had already won nine times in a row. When Shao Khan’s subordinates and his right-hand man Shang Tsung (Chin Han) make it out for the tenth time, the Earth is theirs.
Thunder god and Earthrealm protector Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) wants to prevent this at all costs and has therefore ordered his champions from the first part around MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) to recruit further supporters, especially the aforementioned Johnny Cage , which now play a very central role in part 2.
The fact that figures from Edenia and the Netherrealm are also part of “Mortal Kombat 2” points to the grand tournament involving representatives from various realms of the “Mortal Kombat” universe (there are six in total). Plus, we should probably get a glimpse of those realms in the sequel.
We’ll probably see the whole thing in about a year. There’s no date for “Mortal Kombat 2” yet, but with production really ramping up now, a theatrical release in mid or late 2024 is likely. Simon McQuoid is once again directing the script, this time by Moon Knight creator Jeremy Slater.