We’re still 11 months away from the theatrical release of Mortal Kombat 2, but the movie has already gotten a rating from the MPA. Unsurprisingly, the sequel has been given an “R” rating, due to “strong bloody violence and gore, and language.” As noted by Bloody Disgusting, the previous film received an “R” rating for mostly similar reasons, but that description did not say anything about gore. It’s possible the sequel could up the gore factor this time, allowing the filmmakers to cut loose in a way that more closely resembles the video game source material.
Mortal Kombat 2 is a direct sequel to the movie reboot from 2021. Filming on the sequel wrapped back in January, and the film is now in post production. Details about the sequel have been very slim, though it’s expected to pick up shortly after the first film left off. At the end of Mortal Kombat, Raiden’s champions had defeated the forces of Shang Tsung, albeit temporarily. The film ended with a brief hint about Johnny Cage being recruited for the next Mortal Kombat tournament. At that point, Cage had not been cast for the sequel, leading to a lot of speculation about who would end up playing the role in this new continuity.
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We now know that Johnny Cage will be portrayed in Mortal Kombat 2 by actor Karl Urban. Urban will join the rest of the surviving cast, including Cole Young (Lewis Tan), Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), and Raiden (Tadanobu Asano). The film will also feature several Kombatants that did not appear in the first movie, including Shao Khan (Martyn Ford), Quan Chi (Damon Herriman), Baraka (CJ Bloomfield), Queen Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen), and Kitana (Adeline Rudolph). While Kung Lao (Max Huang) and Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim) died at the end of the previous film, both characters seem to be returning in ways that reflect their stories from the video games.
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Mortal Kombat 2 currently has a release date of October 24th, 2025. Given how far along things seem to be, it wouldn’t be surprising if Warner Bros. decided to bump that date up a little sooner. However, if things remain the way they are, we’re still a very long way away from seeing how the sequel stacks up to the first movie. If Mortal Kombat 2 really is amping up the gore factor, it might actually make sense to stick with the October release window. Nothing says the Halloween season like buckets of blood, and the Mortal Kombat games have always brought that in a big way. The movies themselves have never come close to truly replicating that, but if the movie’s rating is anything to go by, that could finally change!
Are you happy with the rating for Mortal Kombat 2? What are you hoping to see from the sequel? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!