2021’s Mortal Kombat film wowed fans of the hit video game franchise with realistic Fatalities, accurate costume design, and riveting action. Now, the sequel, simply titled Mortal Kombat II, is on the way. The first trailer dropped, putting a spotlight on new characters and intense fight sequences. Let’s dive into every detail it has to offer.

Mortal Kombat II | Official Red Band Trailer

Johnny Cage and Other New Characters

Johnny Cage, one of the biggest characters of the games, was notably missing in the first film. His appearance was teased at the very end, though, and it looks like that tease isn’t going to waste. He’s front and center in this trailer, making it seem like he’s going to be a massive part of this new movie. There are other new characters from the source material who also appear in the trailer, including Kitana, Jade, Quan chi, Shao Khan, Baraka, and a handful of others. Mortal Kombat games are known for their wide range of characters, so it’s great to see so many included in the live action adaptation.

Cole Young

Something else that’s very noticeable in the trailer is the lack of screen time for Cole Young, who served as the protagonist of the first movie. He’s there, but very little. Cole is an original character to these films, and making someone who had never appeared in the games the main character was an odd choice that bothered a lot of fans. It would be no surprise to see him used less because of that. However, it’s weird storytelling wise to have one protagonist at first, then switch it up going forward. We’ll see how it all plays out when the movie releases.

Mortal Kombat Fighting Tournament

The first movie built up the Mortal Kombat tournament quite a bit, but it never took place. The way it’s being talked about in this trailer makes it seem like we’ll actually get to see it, which would be awesome. Much of the dialogue in the trailer is about the tournament, that each fight is to the death, and that it’s fought over the fate of the world. If there’s another movie filled with discussion of a tournament without actually seeing it, there is sure to be some backlash.

Shots That Look Like a 2D Fighting Game

There are a few shots in the trailer that feature two characters facing off against each other that totally replicate matches in a 2D fighting game. They look like something out of the original video games, which is really cool to see. Most of the movie likely won’t be filmed that way, but it’s still a really fun detail.

Over-The-Top Action

Mortal Kombat is famous for its over-the-top action and extreme violence. This trailer gives us a taste of what that action will look like, and it looks like fans are in for a treat. The gore and visual effects look fantastic and the fight choreography is looking impressive already. Many different magical abilities are represented, and there are sure to be more featured throughout the movie. 

There are even a few Fatalities replicated in the trailer, and seeing these on the big screen in live action is going to be wildly entertaining. Having Scorpion let out a game-accurate “get over here” and the like will certainly be a special treat for long-time fans.

Mortal Kombat II hits theaters October 24th, 2025.

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