The 2021 Mortal Kombat movie marked a triumphant return of the beloved fighting game series to the silver screen. Many fans adore the 1995 film and even its sequel, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, and have patiently waited to see their favorite fighters reappear.
The latest movie offered precisely that. We saw the return of many fan-favorites, including Sub-Zero and Liu Kang. The movie also introduced us to fighters never seen in the films before, like Kung Lao, and to a brand-new Earthrealm fighter in Cole Young.
Needless to say, the film is a treat for Mortal Kombat fans and is full of respectful nods to the source material. However, the film also injects several new ideas into the franchise. Many of those additions are fun but aren’t fully explained, leaving fans with lingering questions that the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2 movie will need to answer.
The Dragon Mark and Arcana powers, in particular, are new territory for the franchise and are ideas that fans are keen to see evolve in the upcoming film.
The Mortal Kombat 2 final trailer also poses a few questions of its own. We catch a glimpse of several new returning fighters, including Noob Saibot, a favorite from the games. It’s great to see him, and time will tell if the new movie follows the lore from the games about his inclusion.
Mortal Kombat has left many dangling plot threads for Mortal Kombat 2 to build on, and here are some of the more burning questions that the 2026 film must answer.
10
How Did Kano Survive To Become Kano 2.0?
Many fans of the original 1995 Mortal Kombat movie were surprised to see Kano (Josh Lawson) playing such a prominent role in the 2021 film. Lawson treats audiences to a hilarious portrayal of the villain and is far more important to the story than he was in the original.
Kano faced Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), and she stabbed him dead through the eye while he had her in a choke hold. His Dragon Mark transferred to Sonya upon his death, which makes it strange that the actor has confirmed his “2.0” appearance in Mortal Kombat 2.
Death isn’t necessarily permanent in Mortal Kombat, but it’s unusual for a human to return. Provided he comes back as a living person, the rules about the Dragon Mark must also be clarified.
9
How Does Sub-Zero Return For The Sequel?
Another character who certainly died in Mortal Kombat 2021 was the iconic Sub-Zero. His demise makes sense, considering he was one of the movie’s most deadly antagonists.
Sub-Zero’s return was confirmed in the Mortal Kombat 2 final trailer. Naturally, it provides no explanation but raises many questions about death in the series.
Scorpion returned from hell, fueled by vengeance, but we will have to see if rage also brings the legendary cryomancer back for round two.
8
What Happened To The Mortal Kombat Tournament?
Audiences learn from the 2021 movie that the forces of Outworld have won 9 Mortal Kombat tournaments, and that one more will grant them absolute victory. The film takes place shortly before a tournament, where Outworld forces ultimately sabotage the Earthrealm fighters.
The upcoming Mortal Kombat 2 movie will have to explain where the tournament will occur and who governs it. We know very little about the competition, considering its importance to the story.
Many of the battles in Mortal Kombat 2021 were 1v1 fights in makeshift arenas, but that was Cole’s idea, not a rule. The 1995 movie focused entirely on the tournament on a strange island and Shang Tsung bending the rules. It remains unclear if the new movie will follow suit.
7
What Happens If Earthrealm Loses?
Assuming a tournament does take place in Mortal Kombat 2, audiences don’t know what happens if Outworld achieves 10 wins in a row. We know that Outworld can invade Earthrealm, but we have no idea what that entails.
An Outworld invasion is likely bad news, but wasn’t the sabotage in Mortal Kombat 2021 an invasion of sorts already? The Elder Gods are loosely mentioned, but would they stop Outworld if Shang Tsung decided to invade Earthrealm early?
In Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, audiences saw Outworld begin to merge with Earthrealm after Shao Khan’s blatant disregard for the rules. Mortal Kombat 2 will have to explain whether a similar scenario could occur.
6
How Strong Is Cole Young?
Cole Young is one of the few characters in Mortal Kombat without lore established in previous movies or the video games. He’s a new addition to the franchise in the 2021 film, but his power level is all over the place.
For starters, we don’t know what his Arcana does. It looks like armor, but we have no idea what it can do. Young is so powerful that he beats Goro, a fan-favorite antagonist who destroyed many Earthrealm fighters in the 1995 film.
Considering his newfound strength, Young could not beat Sub-Zero without help. Arcana are a mysterious new addition to the Mortal Kombat universe, and we’ll hopefully have insight into Young’s abilities in Mortal Kombat 2.
5
How Does Arcana Work?
Arcana is a magical power introduced to the Mortal Kombat universe in the 2021 movie. It made for some fun scenes, but it will feel like a plot contrivance until it’s further explained.
In Mortal Kombat 2021, Kano gains laser powers when he gets angry. Cole gets armor while trying to rescue his family, and Jax gets stronger metal arms while freeing Sonya. It’s fair to assume that Arcana gives chosen fighters something they want at the time, but it doesn’t explain why Sonya gets an energy launcher, for example.
Arcana elevates the Earthrealm fighters beyond mere humans, but we need to know what is behind those supernatural abilities.
4
Who And What Is Noob Saibot?
Noob Saibot appeared in the final Mortal Kombat trailer to the elation of fans. However, lovers of the games know that the movie has a lot of explaining to do to justify his inclusion.
In Mortal Kombat lore, Noob Saibot was originally Bi-Han, who we see in the 2021 movie as Sub-Zero. Scorpion kills him, and he is resurrected in the Netherrealm as Noob Saibot.
We’ve already seen Scorpion come back from Hell, so it’s not unfair to assume something similar happens. Still, Scorpion was brooding in Hell for years, so time will tell how Noob Saibot enters the fray so quickly.
3
How Does The Dragon Mark Actually Work?
The Dragon Mark is introduced in Mortal Kombat 2021 and signifies chosen fighters for the tournament. It also seems to have a link to Arcana powers.
It’s a plot device ripe for expansion in Mortal Kombat 2, raising many unanswered questions. For example, why didn’t Johnny Cage have one before the upcoming movie, assuming he’s a powerful Earthrealm fighter?
We also see that the Mark transfers from the perished fighters to whoever killed them. If Kano comes back, does Sonya lose hers? Can the Dragon Mark be tricked in some way? The Mark is a fun visual tell in the most recent movie, but it doesn’t make much sense in its current form.
2
How Powerful Is Shang Tsung?
Shang Tsung is a formidable opponent in the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie. He’s a mighty sorcerer with the power to steal his enemies’ souls. His Mortal Kombat threat level is incredibly high lore-wise, tied to how many souls he has consumed.
Despite his fearsome magical abilities, we see him do very little in Mortal Kombat 2021. He defeats Kung Lao, but prefers to taunt Raiden rather than fight.
Shang Tsung is extremely strong in established Mortal Kombat lore. In the latest movie, his strength has not been proven. Outworld fighters clearly respect him, but we have no idea if an Earthrealm fighter could beat him or even if Raiden would have a chance.
1
What Penalties Are There For Breaking The Rules?
The rules of Mortal Kombat aren’t fully explained in the most recent movie, making it seem like there’s no penalty for breaking them. In fact, the entire film exists because Shang Tsung and his fighters disregard the rules and attack early.
Shang Tsung does mention the Elder Gods, but we don’t see them, nor do they seem to care. That rule-breaking also occurs on both sides. Raiden supposedly cannot interfere in Earthrealm affairs, yet he teleports fighters to key locations at will.
Later in the film, we even see Raiden use his powers on Shang Tsung to banish him from the area. We may see the Elder Gods in Mortal Kombat 2. Until that happens, it almost seems as if they are on Outworld’s side, especially if they are allowed to attack Earthrealm before the tournament even begins.
- Release Date
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May 15, 2026
- Runtime
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116 Minutes
- Director
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Simon McQuoid
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Jessica McNamee
Sonya Blade
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Josh Lawson
Revenant Kano
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
