‘Mortal Kombat’ Director on Potential Sequel: They ‘Are a Bit Tricky’

After months of anticipation, Mortal Kombat finally dropped on April 23. In the lead-up to release day, fans were treated to an extended trailer that featured a showdown between Bi Han (Joe Taslim) and Hanzo Hasashi (Hiroyuki Sanada).

It’s been decades since the video game’s been adapted into a film, and viewers were eager to see the 2021 versions of their favorite characters on the big screen.

Gory fatalities, special effects, and origin stories were promised, and the movie delivered, especially with the Sub-Zero and Scorpion introductions. But the final scenes also left the door open for future installments.

Director Simon McQuoid discussed the potential of doing a sequel and reigniting a film franchise.

[Spoiler Alert: This article contains spoilers for Mortal Kombat]

‘Mortal Kombat’ ending feeds right into a fresh angle

As a game, Mortal Kombat introduced countless characters, many of whom did not get to make a grand entrance in this movie. But that doesn’t mean they won’t at some point.

While fan favorites Mileena, Raiden, Liu Kang, Sub-Zero, Scorpion, and Kung Lao received airtime, others such as Kitana, Noob Saibot, and Shao Kahn have yet to appear.

That also applies to the OG Johnny Cage who received a shout-out at the end of Mortal Kombat. With Cole headed to Hollywood, it seems like a team-up with the sunglass-rocking, arrogant Earthrealm dweller is inevitable. One can only imagine how he and Sonya will get along in a new version of the story.    

And with Sub-Zero dissolved into ashes, the villain could return as Noob Saibot, the reincarnated version of himself. With him, there is leeway to flip his mythology (and loyalty) several ways, as has been done with the game.

Shang Tsung issued a vague warning about death not being permanent, so this is a likely path if Mortal Kombat delivers a sequel.

‘Mortal Kombat’ director Simon McQuoid says sequels are up to fans

During a recent interview with Variety, director Simon McQuoid discussed the film and a potential follow-up. While there aren’t any concrete plans, much of the decision rests with fans.

“Sequels are a bit tricky because you can’t totally ignore them, because that wouldn’t be a smart move, but none of us used the ‘s-word.’ We’d never talk about it in any depth whatsoever because we feel like we have to put all our energy into this film,” he explained.

“That being said, if the fans want another one, that’s not for us to decide; that’s for the fans to decide.” McQuoid added that there is plenty of material to mine, and shared Johnny Cage is such a giant that putting him this first movie would have shifted its balance. However, he’s high on the list for round 2.

McQuoid would like more female characters to join ‘Mortal Kombat’

Fans and the Mortal Kombat crew love to speculate on future characters, and McQuoid threw his ideas into the ring for a possible sequel.

“I guess I’d like to shift it to be a little more female. There are some fantastic female characters in Mortal Kombat. And I think we can bring balance there, to a better extent,” McQuoid said.

He noted that he invested time learning which characters are among the most popular and who has interesting backstories for this first installment. It’s likely he will build on that if the franchise grows.

Variety mentioned that actor Joe Taslim is attached to four more films if the studio decides to give the green light. More Sub-Zero/Noob Saibot!

Mortal Kombat is playing in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. Get over there.