Mortal Kombat 2is almost here, and I hope that it isn’t too late for the sequel to fix the most disappointing part of 2021’sMortal Kombatmovie reboot. Although I generally liked the 2021Mortal Kombatmovie more than any of the other film adaptations of the hit video game franchise, the 2021 film does have one major downgrade when compared to the1995 live-actionMortal Kombatmovie. Luckily,Mortal Kombat 2is giving the series a chance to fix this massive flaw, and I hope that the sequel has taken note of my criticism with this majorMortal Kombatcharacter.
Mortal Kombat 2is one of my most highly-anticipated movies of 2025, as I have been waiting years for all of the exciting set ups from 2021’sMortal Kombatto be paid off. There are all kinds of elements that need to appear inMortal Kombat 2, with an actual occurrence of the titular tournament being a big one. While the most exciting part ofMortal Kombat 2for me is the new characters, such asKarl Urban’s Johnny Cage, the film also needs to focus on some characters that have already been introduced, such as thisMortal Kombatvillain.
Mortal Kombat Reboot’s Shang Tsung Was Disappointing After The 1995 Classic
The 1995Mortal Kombatmovie has a lot of problems, and for me, the 2021 reboot was an upgrade in most ways. However, the reboot film was a serious downgrade when it came to one character: Shang Tsung.Shang Tsung is one of the main villains of theMortal Kombatfranchise, with him often overseeing the Mortal Kombat tournaments that occur in the game. Ahead of the release of the 2021 film, I couldn’t wait to see an updated take on Shang Tsung. The villain was the best part of the 1995Mortal Kombatmovie, and I just knew that the 2021 film would attempt to one-up its predecessor.
Mortal Kombat 2: Why Karl Urban is Perfect For Johnny Cage
Karl Urban will play Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2, and he was absolutely the perfect choice.
However,Shang Tsung’s role in 2021’sMortal Kombatwas incredibly disappointing, especially when compared to the 1995 movie. In the first live-actionMortal Kombatfilm, Shang Tsung is one of the best parts, with him stealing nearly every scene that he is in. This is the opposite in 2021’sMortal Kombat, as Shang Tsung has almost nothing to do. Outside of killing Kung Lao, Shang Tsung mostly sits around in the background of the 2021 film, with most of his dialogue alluding to events that will presumably take place inMortal Kombat 2.
Mortal Kombat’s New Characters Mean There May Not Be Time To Focus On Shang Tsung
There Are Too Many New Characters
After an entire movie of set up, I am really crossing my fingers thatMortal Kombat 2will give some more focus to Shang Tsung, finally showing him to be the incredible villain that he is. However, I fear that this may not happen, asMortal Kombat 2’s new charactersmay mean that there isn’t time to focus on Shang Tsung. The film is already set to introduce Quan Chi, and more notably, Shao Kahn, meaning that it seems more likely thatMortal Kombat 2would focus on these characters rather than spending more time with Shang Tsung.
On top of that,the addition of Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage seems to be the main selling point ofMortal Kombat 2, meaning that a massive chunk of the sequel will probably be focused on him.Mortal Kombat 2will also have to split its attention with the remaining new characters, those being Queen Sindel, King Jerrod, Jade, Kitana, and Baraka. This is a lot of stories to tell in one sequel, with the new heroes and villains possibly overshadowing Shang Tsung.
Mortal Kombat 2’s “Different” Johnny Cage Tease Is A Huge Risk After The First Movie’s Divisive Decisions
Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage has been described as “unique” and different from what Mortal Kombat fans may expect, which is both risky and exciting.
This isn’t even to mention the other returning characters, whichMortal Kombat 2will also have to spend time with. Having over a dozen main characters inMortal Kombat 2would make focusing on any one of them nearly impossible, so while I hope that Shang Tsung gets some more focus, I am not getting my hopes up.
The Lack Of Shang Tsung In Mortal Kombat (2021) Was Part Of A Larger Problem
The 2021 Movie Didn’t Even Have A Tournament
The reboot’s lackluster take on Shang Tsung was the biggest sin of the 2021 movie in my opinion, but it was actually part of a larger problem. 2021’sMortal Kombatdid not feature a Mortal Kombat tournament, ridding the movie series of the main premise that the video game franchise is based on. BecauseShang Tsung is the overseer of the Mortal Kombat tournaments, not having a tournament made it hard to utilize Shang Tsung effectively. This played a major role in hurting the villain’s character, as it is hard to pull off Shang Tsung without using his main story role.
8 Harsh Realities Of Rewatching Mortal Kombat: Annihilation 27 Years Later
Mortal Kombat: Annihilation came out 27 years ago and remains one of the worst video game movies ever, but it makes for a surprisingly fun rewatch.
Outside of his role in the Mortal Kombat tournament, Shang Tsung also had another major storyline ripped away from him in 2021’sMortal Kombat. In the film, Liu Kang is a supporting character rather than one of the main protagonists. In the video games and some otherMortal Kombatstories, Liu Kang and Shang Tsung have a massive rivalry, with this being at the center of some of Shang Tsung’s best moments. Not focusing onLiu Kang also meant that the 2021 filmcouldn’t focus on Shang Tsung, undercutting the villain even further.
How Mortal Kombat 2 Can Still Fix The Reboot’s Shang Tsung
There Is Still A Chance For The Villain
Although it may sound difficult, I think thatMortal Kombat 2can still fix the reboot series' version of Shang Tsung. Firstly,Mortal Kombat 2needs to feature an actual Mortal Kombat tournament. Not having a Mortal Kombat tournament was the worst decision that the 2021 film could have made, and I will be shocked ifMortal Kombat 2decides not to have one either. Introducing the tournament inMortal Kombat 2means that Shang Tsung will finally have a bigger role, serving in the position that he should have been from the very beginning.
On top of that,Mortal Kombat 2needs to find a way to make Shang Tsung less generic. With the introduction of several newMortal Kombatvillains, Shang Tsung could risk being overshadowed in the sequel if he isn’t made more interesting. Further highlighting Shang Tsung’s rivalry with Liu Kang could be a way to do this, but there are plenty of other ways to make Shang Tsung as cool inMortal Kombat 2as he was in the 1995 film.
Mortal Kombat II
Cast
Mortal Kombat II: A sequel to the 2021 film Mortal Kombat, this movie continues the saga of Earth’s champions as they face new threats from the Outworld. Building on the original’s mythical universe, the film delves deeper into the lore of the Mortal Kombat tournament and its legendary fighters.
