Some good news for Mortal Kombat fans today. It’s not exactly a bombshell, but it’s good all the same. Mortal Kombat II has locked in a new, earlier release date. The sequel was originally supposed to release in theaters this month. Warner Bros. even released the first trailer back in July. However, they later decided it was worthy of a summer release, so they delayed it to May 2026. Now though, they’ve bumped up the release once again, albeit ever so slightly.
Mortal Kombat II is now set to hit theaters on May 8, 2026. Warner Bros. moved up the date one week from May 15, 2026. It’s now in the Mother’s Day weekend slot. The only other direct competition is Sheep Detectives. Though it is coming just a week after The Devil Wears Prada 2. Though both of those movies are clearly going for different audiences.
Simon McQuoid returns to direct the sequel, working from a script by Jeremy Slater (Moon Knight). Many of the previous cast members are returning, with Karl Urban (Thor: Ragnarok) serving as the big new addition. He’ll be playing fan-favorite Johnny Cage. The actor-turned-fighter has been a staple of the games since the beginning of the franchise in the ‘90s.
Here is the synopsis for Mortal Kombat II.
“This time, the fan favorite champions—now joined by Johnny Cage himself—are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.”
“Every time people have seen this movie, it’s gained momentum,” McQuoid said earlier this month at New York Comic Con. “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.”
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. has plans to expand the Mortal Kombat franchise. Aside from possible spin-offs, Slater also confirmed during NYCC that the studio has already contracted him to begin writing Mortal Kombat III. While that doesn’t mean the movie will for sure happen, it’s a good sign. If the second one is a hit, they’ll be ready to go. Here’s what Slater had to say about it at the time.
“Our friends at New Line and Warner Bros. are so happy with this movie. They are so excited, they are so convinced that there is a giant fanbase waiting for it, they’ve already hired me to start writing the next installment.”
The cast also includes Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han and Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion. Rounding out the ensemble will be Adeline Rudolph (Kitana), Jessica McNamee (Sonya Blade), Josh Lawson (Kano), Ludi Lin (Liu Kang), Mehcad Brooks (Jax), Tati Gabrielle (Jade), Lewis Tan (Cole Young), Damon Herriman (Quan Chi) and Chin Han (Shang Tsung).
Mortal Kombat II hits theaters on May 8, 2026.
What do you think? Are you excited for the sequel? Do you think it’s a good fit for the summer season? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
