Mortal Kombat III Plans To Bring Back Original Star With A New Character

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Be warned, this article contains spoilers for the upcoming Mortal Kombat II (2026)! One actor’s character in the Mortal Kombat universe is set to undergo a significant change.

According to writer Jeremy Slater, the next Mortal Kombat movie will feature an actor from the first film playing a different character. The second movie introduced many new fighters, including Johnny Cage (played by Karl Urban), who became the main focus. Before that, Cole Young was the lead, but he was killed off by Shao Kahn during the second film, and this death will be permanent.

In a recent interview with MovieWeb, writer Jeremy Slater shared plans to bring actor Lewis Tan back for a future Mortal Kombat film. Tan, who played Cole Young in the first movie, would portray a different character in Mortal Kombat III. Slater admitted that, like many fans, he felt Young’s presence detracted from the established characters of the games, but he’s impressed with Tan’s acting and wants to find a role for him in a future installment. Here’s what Slater said:

I really like Lewis Tan as an actor, but I wasn’t a fan of his character, Cole Young, in Mortal Kombat. I knew going in that many longtime fans felt the same way – everyone appreciates Lewis Tan’s performance, but Cole just didn’t fit into the established world. It felt like having a random, unrelated character show up in an Avengers movie – someone who doesn’t belong alongside the heroes we’ve known and loved for decades, and who takes away valuable screen time from them. When the 2021 movie came out, I was among those who thought Cole didn’t earn his place in the story.

For the sequel, we considered two main options. First, we could have continued down the same path, but we noticed the dedicated fans weren’t connecting with the character as we’d hoped. The other option was to accept that and explore bringing Lewis Tan back in future movies in a way that fans would enjoy. Lewis is a fantastic actor and, frankly, his character didn’t get enough screen time in this film. I’m hoping this isn’t the last we see of Lewis Tan in the Mortal Kombat world. I really didn’t want to kill off his character, knowing he had a strong fanbase, and I think he’s a great performer.

Okay, so it looks like Cole Young won’t be returning for the next Mortal Kombat movie, which is a bit surprising considering how often characters come back to life in these films! The last one ended with the survivors figuring out how to resurrect fighters using Quan Chi, but apparently, Cole isn’t on that list. The third movie is going all-in on characters straight from the games – think more of the faces we already know and love. While Cole’s out of the picture, I’m hearing that Lewis Tan will still be involved, which is great news!

Earlier this month, Tan shared that he’d like to rejoin the Mortal Kombat movies, but in a different role. He revealed he was originally cast to play Kung Jing in a planned series that never happened. This opens the door for him to play another existing character from the games. With Slater also wanting to see him back, it seems likely he’ll return – just not as Cole Young.

Warner Bros. announced Mortal Kombat III before the second movie even finished its theatrical run, signaling a strong commitment to the future of the Mortal Kombat films. Currently, Mortal Kombat II is doing well in theaters, having earned $101.2 million worldwide on an $80 million budget after its second weekend. With a third movie already planned, it would be logical for actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tan to return, even in a different role, to maintain his involvement with the film series.

Although Cole Young’s story might be over, actor Lewis Tan could return for Mortal Kombat III. Given his long-time love of the games, bringing him back to play a different character would be a great way to keep him involved with the franchise and stay faithful to the original source material.

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2026-05-18 15:41