Before Mortal Kombat II even hits theaters, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have already confirmed a third film is on the way.
During the studio’s Mortal Kombat II panel at New York Comic Con, screenwriter Jeremy Slater revealed that Mortal Kombat III is officially in development.
“Our friends at New Line and Warner Bros. are so happy and excited with this movie,” Slater said. “They are so convinced that there is a giant fanbase waiting for it that they already hired me to start writing the next installment of Mortal Kombat.”
Greenlight Before Release
The announcement came with confidence, as Mortal Kombat II is still months away from release but has already generated massive fan hype—including a red-band trailer that scored 107 million views in 24 hours. According to Slater, the studio wants to build on that momentum by locking in a trilogy.
Slater will return to pen the script for MK3, continuing the narrative direction set up in Mortal Kombat II, which heavily centers on Johnny Cage and Kitana as central figures in the Earthrealm’s escalating war with Outworld.
Cast & Crew Speak Out
Slater was joined at the NYCC panel by returning director Simon McQuoid and cast members Karl Urban (Johnny Cage), Adeline Rudolph (Kitana), Martyn Ford (Shao Kahn), and Tati Gabrielle (Jade). McQuoid addressed the delay of Mortal Kombat II from October 2025 to May 15, 2026, saying:
“We’ve created a massive summer blockbuster, so I think we should all be proud of the fact that Mortal Kombat II and the franchise itself is going to kick off next year. Yes, we have to wait, but it’s going to feel massive when it comes out,” he said.
More Fights, Bigger Scope
McQuoid described the sequel as a full-length expansion of the tone from the first film’s opening scenes, with MK2 featuring more fights, higher emotional stakes, and deeper exploration of Mortal Kombat lore:
“It was about pushing the boundaries with everything. I wanted to have much more emotion with the characters, so there were much higher highs and lower lows. I wanted us to journey through all of the realms and different places, levels and environments you can go to in Mortal Kombat. I wanted us to spend more time in those places and to be able to use the treasure trove created over the years, “he said.
Slater noted the challenge of balancing such a large ensemble cast—over 20 characters—while keeping the story focused:
“You can’t make a six-hour Mortal Kombat movie,” he joked. “A lot of traditional fighting tournament movies, there’s a fight and then you can go to the bathroom. We didn’t want that structure. In between the tournament, the characters have their own missions and adventures they’re going on, so there’s no downtime.”
A Broken Johnny Cage Reborn
Karl Urban shared new insight into where we find Johnny Cage in MK2:
“When we first see him, he’s a very dispirited character. His career is completely in the tank. He’s not been keeping up with his training. The world has forgotten who Johnny Cage is,” Urban explained. “He’s just a broken man.”
Slater added that the arc was designed to show Cage’s transformation into a true champion, not just the cocky movie star fans know from the games.
