Mortal Kombat II has officially been delayed.
Warner Bros. and New Line have pushed the highly anticipated sequel back nearly seven months, moving its theatrical release from October 24, 2025 to May 15, 2026.
To go with the news, a new poster has been released.
“The tournament demands a new time and place, worthy of its spectacle. Mortal Kombat II – only in theaters May 15, 2026. Tuesday unlocks the next level,” states the tweet from the official movie account on X.
Summer Over Halloween
According to a report from Deadline, the date shift is strategic.
Despite the film’s red-band trailer racking up a record-breaking 107 million global views, the studio is opting for a higher-impact summer debut rather than risking a late-October slot.
October 2025 is already shaping up to be crowded, with 20th Century Studios’ Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere starring Jeremy Allen White and Paramount’s Regretting You also dated around that time. Halloween weekend doesn’t traditionally bring strong box office numbers, which could have undercut Mortal Kombat II‘s momentum.
The new May 2026 release gives the Simon McQuoid-directed sequel room to breathe and a better shot at dominating the early summer box office.
The site adds that they are hearing test screenings have gone well, which fits with recent reports comparing the hype to Avengers: Endgame.
About the Sequel
Mortal Kombat II continues the brutal saga of Earthrealm’s warriors, with Karl Urban joining the cast as Johnny Cage. The film brings back Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion, Joe Taslim as the resurrected Bi-Han/Noob Saibot, and Lewis Tan as Cole Young. The story picks up after Sub-Zero’s death in the first film, with Bi-Han revived by dark magic to fight once again—this time, as the vengeful wraith Noob Saibot.
The sequel also marks the first time Scorpion and Noob Saibot will face off in the franchise, including the games.
