Some Mortal Kombat fans were disappointed and worried when, at the last moment, this year’s sequel was bumped to a May 2026 release date. The film had been expected to hit cinemas this month, but as the trailer for the movie arrived last month, it was clear that there was going to be an unexpected wait until Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage would join more classic characters in the action fantasy. Now, director Simon McQuoid has revealed the very simple reason why Mortal Kombat II has been delayed, and it is not one anyone needs to worry about.
Speaking at NYCC (via The Hollywood Reporter), McQuoid shared his view on the reason behind the delay, noting that the franchise has become a “victim of its own success,” and that meant the shift to an early summer release was only right to do the franchise justice. He said:
“Every time people have seen this movie, it’s gained momentum. We’ve created a massive summer blockbuster, so I think we should all be proud of the fact that Mortal Kombat II and the franchise itself is going to kick off next year. Yes, we have to wait, but it’s going to feel massive when it comes out.”
Although the last-minute release date switch caused some annoyance among fans who have already waited four years for the sequel, it seems that the belief in the film’s ability to kick off the summer season is a good sign that Mortal Kombat II will deliver on the promise of the first movie.
‘Mortal Kombat II’ Will Throw Fans Into a Classic Tournament
In the first movie, there were plenty of familiar characters and bloody action to please fans, although critics were very divided over the movie’s worth. The 85% score from audiences, against just 55% from critics, suggested that the movie had worked in doing what it needed to in order to be a success: please fans of the video game franchise in a way that the previous iterations failed to do. For McQuoid, that left a clear path for the sequel. He said:
“The goal was, after the first one came out, really, to make Mortal Kombat II feel like a full-length feature version of the tone we created in the opening of Mortal Kombat I. We felt that we just scratched the surface. There is so much to Mortal Kombat, to the lore, so much to work with that I thought we could just expand everything onto an even greater scale.”
This time around, as well as the addition of Urban as the popular Johnny Cage, and the introduction of other iconic characters such as the fearsome Baraka, McQuoid wanted to simply bring more of everything to the next installment.
“It was about pushing the boundaries with everything. I wanted to have much more emotion with the characters, so there were much higher highs and lower lows. I wanted us to journey through all of the realms and different places, levels and environments you can go to in Mortal Kombat. I wanted us to spend more time in those places and to be able to use the treasure trove created over the years.”
It looks like all of this has paid off, as even before the film hits cinemas, Mortal Kombat III is already being developed, with Jeremy Slater expected to return for scripting duties. With the third movie clearly being a top priority for Warner Bros., fans will probably not have a five-year wait for the next brutal round.
- Release Date
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May 15, 2026
- Runtime
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116 Minutes
- Writers
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Jeremy Slater
- Producers
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E. Bennett Walsh, Toby Emmerich, Todd Garner, James Wan
- Franchise(s)
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Mortal Kombat