Mortal Kombat 2: Why Keanu Would Make The Best Kenshi In The Upcoming Sequel
While early casting talk surrounding Mortal Kombat 2 centers on Johnny Cage, there is one other champion Keanu Reeves should play. As of January 26, 2022, Warner Bros. has officially greenlit a sequel to the 2021 streaming hit Mortal Kombat, with Death Note's Jeremy Slater set to pen the screenplay. As a direct continuation of Mortal Kombat 2021's story, Mortal Kombat 2 will introduce many classic characters teased in the first film to make their debuts, such as Johnny Cage, Shao Kahn, and Kitana.
Much of Mortal Kombat 2's casting debate has centered on the character of Johnny Cage, whose movie poster glimpsed at the end of Mortal Kombat 2021 confirms his presence in the upcoming sequel. WWE superstar The Miz has put forth his name for the vacant role via Twitter, with Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon subsequently backing the professional wrestler's casting bid. Other big-name candidates mentioned in early 2022 to play Johnny Cage are This Is Us' Justin Hartley and Westworld's James Marsden, highlighting the spike in popularity the Mortal Kombat franchise has seen in the wake of Mortal Kombat 2021's success. This newfound popularity has also led to other prominent actors joining the Mortal Kombat 2 discourse, with The Matrix star Keanu Reeves stating in an Esquire interview that "Mortal Kombat is awesome in so many ways..."
The finale of Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath leaves the MK Universe at a timeline reset, paving the way for a fresh start in Mortal Kombat 12.
The finale of Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath creates a pathway for a fresh start in the future of the franchise. Since the first game's release in 1992, Mortal Kombat has constantly expanded its lore through background information on its characters, spin-off titles, and even the use of additional game modes such as the Krypt in MK11 or Konquest Mode in Deception and Armageddon. Going into the future of the series, Mortal Kombat 12 could explore this lore further by moving away from its current roster.
Elements of the deeper lore of Mortal Kombat have been present throughout the franchise's existence, but it has mostly been relegated to background history and world-building subtext. The ancestry of Kung Lao, which links him back to Earthrealm's first champion of the tournament, remains an underlying story for the members of the Order of Light and its White Lotus Society. Although this history is often referenced, the series has not taken many opportunities to dive further into it. Instead, the series has focused on its current timeline. However, with the timeline reset at the end of Aftermath's good ending, the groundwork is laid for the series to deviate from its present roster of fighters.
When Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath sets the series back in time at the conclusion of its good ending, players are given a choice to play the final confrontation between Shang Tsung and Fire God Liu Kang as either character. Choosing Liu Kang and defeating Outworld's sorcerer sends the story's finale down the path of a new timeline as Liu Kang uses Kronika's Crown and the power of the Hourglass to begin its construction. In doing so, Liu Kang meets the Great Kung Lao, offering to prepare him for what's to come, which could potentially place Mortal Kombat 12 in the past.
The good ending in MK11: Aftermath places the storyline in the very distant past of the franchise. In doing so, this creates the possibility of a clean slate in regards to its roster. Most characters in the current timeline would not be alive in the era of the Great Kung Lao. Beyond Liu Kang taking the role once belonging to Raiden as Earthrealm's protector, as well as the inevitable clash between Kung Lao and Shang Tsung, this era of Mortal Kombat could - and should - see the introduction of new faces from the past.
Many of the franchise's fan-favorites would not be alive during the timeline of Earthrealm's first Mortal Kombat tournament. However, if MK 12 follows the events of Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath, it gives the franchise a chance to reboot with a brand-new roster of characters in an otherwise unexplored part of Mortal Kombat's history. Rebooting the series by going backwards in time would be interesting, and creating a roster of new characters would flesh out the rich legacy of the franchise.
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