Mortal Kombat II is a 2026 American martial arts fantasy film based on the video-game series created by Ed Boon and John Tobias. It is a sequel to Mortal Kombat (2021) and is the fourth installment in the Mortal Kombat film series.
๐ฅ Production & Development
Following the release of Mortal Kombat in April 2021, producer Todd Garner, writer Greg Russo, and director McQuoid began conversations about the future of the franchise. By 2022, New Line Cinema green-lit the sequel, with Slater penning the screenplay and McQuoid returning to direct.
Filming began in June 2023 in Australia, was paused in mid-July due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, resumed in mid-November, and concluded in late January 2024. Principal photography began on June 22, 2023, at Village Roadshow Studios in Gold Coast, Queensland, with Stephen F. Windon as the cinematographer.
๐ญ Cast & Characters
Directed by Simon McQuoid and written by Jeremy Slater, it stars returning cast members Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Ludi Lin, Mehcad Brooks, Lewis Tan, Damon Herriman (in a different role), Chin Han, Tadanobu Asano, Joe Taslim, and Hiroyuki Sanada. Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, and Tati Gabrielle joined the cast.
In May 2023, Tati Gabrielle was in final negotiations to play Jade, with Karl Urban also in final talks to play Cage. Adeline Rudolph joined the cast as Kitana, with Gabrielle confirmed to be playing Jade.
In June 2023, Martyn Ford, Desmond Chiam, Ana Thu Nguyen, and Damon Herriman were cast as Shao Kahn, King Jerrod, Queen Sindel and Quan Chi, respectively. Max Huang confirmed he would return as Kung Lao.
๐ Release & Reception
Mortal Kombat II premiered at TCL Chinese Theater on April 27, 2026, and was theatrically released by Warner Bros. Pictures on May 8, 2026. It was previously scheduled to release on October 24, 2025, and May 15, 2026.
The film received mixed reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, 69% of 98 critics’ reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.9/10. Metacritic assigned the film a score of 49 out of 100, based on 27 critics, indicating “mixed or average” reviews.
โ๏ธ Plot Summary
In a flashback, Shao Kahn kills King Jerrod in Mortal Kombat, taking over Edenia. Many years later with the tenth Mortal Kombat tournament on the horizon, Quan Chi, on orders of Shao Kahn, revives Kung Lao and Kano.
The tournament begins with Sonya fighting Sindel and Johnny fighting Kitana. Sonya manages to kill Sindel, while Kitana defeats Johnny but spares him. Kitana reveals she is a spy for Raiden, but her bodyguard Jade confronts her.
Quan Chi recovers Shinnok’s stolen amulet from Kano. Quan Chi and Kung Lao attack and steal most of Raiden’s power for the amulet, which they bind to Shao Kahn, making him immortal.
Liu Kang is forced to kill Kung Lao. Jax defeats Jade but spares her. Cole fights and mortally wounds Shao Kahn, but his wounds heal and he kills Cole.
Liu Kang, Jax, Sonya and Johnny travel to the home of the Takartans. Johnny defeats Baraka, earning his trust. Kitana is captured by Jade and tied up in the public square.
Jax is killed by Shao Kahn. Kano betrays Shao Kahn and reveals to Johnny a revived Bi-Han has the amulet in the Netherrealm. Raiden sends Kano and Johnny to Netherrealm to destroy the amulet.
In the final round, Shao Kahn kills Liu Kang. Sonya frees Kitana before being knocked out. Kitana switches allegiances to Earthrealm and kills Shao Kahn, freeing Edenia and becoming its queen.
Some time later, Johnny, Sonya, Raiden, Kitana, Jade, Kano, Baraka, and a captured Quan Chi prepare to try and recover the other fallen champions.
๐ฎ Future & Cameos
Mortal Kombat series co-creator Ed Boon has a cameo appearance in the film as a bartender. In October 2025, during New York Comic Con, it was reported that a third film was in development, with Jeremy Slater returning as screenwriter.
| Category | Detail | Category | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | May 8, 2026 | Director | Simon McQuoid |
| Writer | Jeremy Slater | Cinematographer | Stephen F. Windon |
| Rotten Tomatoes | 69% positive (98 critics) | Metacritic | 49/100 (27 critics) |
| Filming Location | Gold Coast, Australia | Filming Dates | June 2023 โ Jan 2024 |