The Only Recap You Need Before Mortal Kombat 2

There's a brand new "Mortal Kombat" movie headed to theaters in 2026, a direct sequel to the 2021 reboot. If you need a recap before you see it, we've got you covered — the video above will bring you up to speed on everything you need to know heading into the follow-up.

"Mortal Kombat" has had a fascinating journey from arcades to games consoles to the big screen. This latest film is helmed by Simon McQuoid and will continue the story laid out in his 2021 film, which explained the general concept of the Mortal Kombat tournament and focused on a large number of fan favorite characters from the games, including Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim), Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), and Liu Kang (Ludi Lin). It marked a fresh start for a film franchise that has seen lots of ups and downs (we've ranked every "Mortal Kombat" movie from worst to best if you want to see where the reboot stands).

2021's "Mortal Kombat" scored a middling 55% on Rotten Tomatoes, but general viewers loved it — the film holds a respectable audience score of 85% on the review aggregation website and it did some solid numbers at the box office despite dropping amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While there were flaws, "Mortal Kombat" was a victory for fans of the franchise. The sequel will attempt to go bigger and better by introducing has-been action movie actor Johnny Cage, to be played by "The Boys" star Karl Urban.

"Mortal Kombat II" will introduce Johnny Cage, a character from the video games who was inspired by action movie stars like Jean-Claude Van Damme. It's a big moment for the refreshed film franchise according to "Mortal Kombat" co-creator Ed Boon, who hyped up the character's entrance in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. "His integration into the 'Mortal Kombat' story and universe is a big part of what this movie explores," Boon said. "He's a washed-up Hollywood guy thrown into this magical, ultra-violent thing. Karl, his depiction of Johnny Cage is different than our games in some ways. He's adding his own [flair] to it, but I think it'll feel fresh."

Cage will go up against Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford), who threatens to take over the Earthrealm with the goal of turning the entirety of existence into part of the Outworld. Johnny's not going to stand for that, even though he's initially reluctant to join the Mortal Kombat tournament. Sonja and the other members of her team show up to convince him, but will he be able to overcome the powerful villain? The movie will also star Adeline Rudolph as Kitana and Tati Gabrielle as Jade. And, despite the fate of their characters in the first film, Lewis Tan and Max Huang are among the actors returning for the follow-up. Make sure to watch our recap video so you're in the know heading into the sequel.