After the underwhelming reception of the first film, it seems like Mortal Kombat 2 is making several changes to the movie franchise. Even though many fans and critics had a lot of criticisms about the first film, the ending of 2021’s Mortal Kombat set up an exciting story for the sequel. In the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2, Earthrealm’s champions will compete in a tournament against Outworld.

Additionally, the ending of the first film teased that Johnny Cage will have a prominent role in the sequel. Along with Johnny Cage, several other new characters will appear in Mortal Kombat 2, such as Shao Kahn, Quan Chi, Baraka, and Kitana. All of these inclusions will delight longtime fans of the video games and should make Mortal Kombat 2 a very entertaining watch.

The writer of the sequel has also teased that fans have been constantly cheering during early screenings of Mortal Kombat 2. This was definitely not the kind of reaction the first movie received, so it seems like the sequel could make some major improvements to the franchise. Ahead of its release on October 24, 2025, here are five characters that seem like they’re being replaced by new additions in Mortal Kombat 2:

5

Johnny Cage Is Replacing Cole Young As The Main Character

Cole Young Is A Very Divisive Character

Even though he has never appeared in any Mortal Kombat video games, Cole Young led the cast of the 2021 movie. Since the first film seemed to set up that Cole Young would be the Earthrealm champion to defeat villains like Shang Tsung and Shao Kahn, he basically replaced Liu Kang’s typical role in the games. However, after significant backlash against Cole Young, it seems like the sequel may be making a change.

Early details about the upcoming sequel suggest that Johnny Cage may be the main character in Mortal Kombat 2, rather than Cole Young. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon revealed that Johnny Cage would be the audience’s lens in the sequel.

Since Johnny Cage is played by Karl Urban, an extremely likable and charismatic actor, him taking on the lead role in Mortal Kombat 2 would make sense. Johnny Cage is one of the most popular Mortal Kombat characters, and could help the sequel get better reviews than the first movie. Therefore, replacing Cole Young with Johnny Cage could be a smart decision.

4

Johnny Cage Is Replacing Kano As The “Annoying” Earthrealm Champion

Johnny Cage Will Fight For Earthrealm In Mortal Kombat 2

After Kung Lao’s death and Kano’s betrayal in the first movie, Earthrealm will need more champions in Mortal Kombat 2. This is precisely why Cole Young set out to recruit Johnny Cage at the end of the 2021 movie. In addition to potentially replacing Cole Young as the main character, Johnny Cage will also likely replace Kano’s role in the group of Earthrealm champions.

In the first movie, Kano was the one who constantly annoyed Earthrealm’s other fighters, such as Cole Young and Sonya Blade. In fact, the writer of the first movie has even revealed that Johnny Cage wasn’t in the film because of Kano, since he filled the role that the Hollywood actor would typically have.

Therefore, now that Kano is gone and Johnny Cage will join the team, he will likely be the one who annoys Earthrealm’s other fighters. After all, Johnny Cage and Kano both have very similar personalities. However, a major difference between them is that Johnny Cage is truly loyal to Earthrealm. Because of this, even though he may annoy them, characters like Cole, Sonya, and Jax will learn to trust Johnny Cage in the sequel.

3

Shao Kahn Is Replacing Shang Tsung As The Main Villain

Shao Kahn Rules Over Outworld In Mortal Kombat 2

Moving from Earthrealm to Outworld, Shao Kahn is set to replace Shang Tsung as the main villain in Mortal Kombat 2. Even though he didn’t actually fight any other characters, Shang Tsung pulled the strings and was technically the main villain in the first movie. However, because he had so little screen time, his role in the 2021 film was very underwhelming.

Therefore, it’s great that Shao Kahn will step into the main villain role in the sequel. After Shang Tsung’s plan to kill all the Earthrealm fighters before the tournament failed in the first movie, Shao Kahn will have to take matters into his own hands in Mortal Kombat 2.

In the upcoming sequel, Shao Kahn, the current emperor of Outworld, will oversee the Mortal Kombat tournament. In many of the video games, Shao Kahn is much more physically imposing and scarier than Shang Tsung. Since 6-foot-9 bodybuilder Martyn Ford is playing him in the sequel, it seems like this will indeed be the case in Mortal Kombat 2, which could help it be far superior to the first movie.

2

Quan Chi Is Replacing Shang Tsung As The Main Sorcerer

Quan Chi Will Likely Bring Several Characters Back From The ᴅᴇᴀᴅ

Not only will Shang Tsung likely be overshadowed by Shao Kahn in the sequel, but Quan Chi might also steal the spotlight from him as Mortal Kombat 2’s main sorcerer. In the video games, Shang Tsung and Quan Chi are two of the most powerful sorcerers in any of the realms.

Some of Shang Tsung’s powers, such as his soul consumption ability, were shown in the first movie. However, for the most part, the first movie seemed hesitant to reveal more of Shang Tsung’s abilities, which is unfortunate. Now, it may be too late for him to excel as a major villain, especially since much more attention might be on Quan Chi in the sequel.

Not much is known about Quan Chi’s role in Mortal Kombat 2, but it has been confirmed that characters like Bi-Han and Kano will be brought back from the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ in the sequel. Most likely, Quan Chi will be the one to revive these characters. Since this will probably be a major plot point in the movie, it seems like Quan Chi will get to show off his sorcery abilities much more than Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat 2.

1

Baraka Is Replacing Mileena As The Scariest Outworld Warrior

Baraka Will Be A Dangerous Foe In Mortal Kombat 2

Even though Shang Tsung’s role in the first film was disappointing, one of the sorcerer’s creations, Mileena, is definitely one of the most memorable fighters from the movie. Since Shang Tsung used Takartan DNA to create Mileena, she has a very large mouth with razor-sharp teeth. Her appearance easily made her one of the scariest enemies in the first movie.

However, it seems like Baraka will take Mileena’s place as the scariest Outworld fighter in the sequel. In the games, Baraka is the general of the Takartan Horde and also has a large mouth with sharp teeth, in addition to blades that stick out of his arms. Since Mileena died in the first movie and Baraka is one of the most popular characters in the games, it seems like he will be a prominent Outworld warrior in Mortal Kombat 2.

However, it should be noted that, like Bi-Han and Kano, it’s possible Mileena will be revived by Quan Chi in Mortal Kombat 2. Therefore, rather than fully replacing her, there’s a chance that Baraka will fight alongside Mileena in the sequel. Regardless, Baraka will definitely be a terrifying presence in Mortal Kombat 2.