Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are set to bring audiences back into the tournament withMortal Kombat 2in 2025, and one of the most highly anticipated aspects of the film is the debut of the iconicMortal Kombatvillain Shao Kahn. While there has been little talk of how the villain will play into the film’s plot, a new image shared by producerTodd Garnerhas shown a first look at Shao Kahn, though much of his appearance still remains a mystery.
The image, shared byGarner on Xfor Halloween, depicts Shao Kahn in the shadows in a black-and-white setting, hiding his face. However, the image does confirm that he will be sporting his classic skull mask in the film, as its outline can be made out. While this doesn’t provide much in the way of plot details, Shao Kahn, who will be played byMartyn Fordin the film, willlikely factor in heavily; the character, who rules as the emperor of the Outworld realm with his Wrath Hammer, is one of the most iconic villains in video game history, making his first appearance inMortal Kombat IIin 1993. He has appeared in numerousMortal Kombatmedia since then.
Fans of 2021’sMortal Kombatwill be happy to see that the film’s director,SimonMcQuoid,is backfor the sequel. McQuoid directedMortal Kombat 2from a script byJeremy Slater.He is also producing the film alongsideJames WanandMichael Clearfor Atomic Monster, Garner for Broken Road Productions, andE. Bennett Walsh.
Many Characters are Back for ‘Mortal Kombat 2’
The sequel to the 2021 film will feature many fighting characters from the classic video game, many of whom appeared in the film three years ago. This includesLewis Tanreprising his role as Cole Young,Jessica McNameereprising her role as Sonya Blade,Ludi Linreprising her role as Liu Kang, andTadanobu Asanoreprising his role as Raiden. The first film served as a reboot of the series following the critical failure of 1997’sMortal Kombat: Annhiliation,which caused the project to be stuck in development for two decades, so it is unsurprising that many classic characters are being used.
But new characters will be introduced inMortal Kombat 2,as well. Beyond Shao Kahn, the most notable addition to the sequel is Johnny Cage,played byKarl Urban.Cage is a martial arts master and undoubtedly one of the most recognizable characters from theMortal Kombatfranchise. Though he didn’t appear in the first film, his entrance into the sequel will likely delight fans of the saga as much as Shao Kahn’s.
Mortal Kombat 2will bereleased in theaterson Jun 08, 2025. The first film is streaming on Max now.
Mortal Kombat II
The sequel to the Mortal Kombat 2021 film franchise reboot, Mortal Kombat 2, will follow the original cast and new faces as they prepare for the Mortal Kombat tournament. Cole Young and his allies will continue training and enlisting new warriors to prepare for the contest between Earthrealm and Outworld, which will determine the fate of humanity.
