Cole Young Star Teases Potential Recasting In Mortal Kombat III Following Player’s Brutal Fate

by

Be warned – this article contains major spoilers for the upcoming Mortal Kombat II movie! While Cole Young’s story may be finished, the actor who played him could appear in future installments.

Lewis Tan, who played a character in the recent Mortal Kombat II film, has hinted he might return for a third movie, despite his character’s death. Mortal Kombat II centers on Johnny Cage (Karl Urban), an actor drawn into the Mortal Kombat tournament to defend Earthrealm from the Outworld’s ruler, Shao Khan (Martyn Ford). The story features Cole Young, the hero from the first film, battling the powerful Emperor, but ultimately, Cole is killed during the tournament.

In a recent interview with Vulture, actor Tan spoke about his character’s death and hinted that he might reappear in a future Mortal Kombat movie, even though his current version of the character is definitively gone. He clarified that if he returns, it won’t be as the lead he once was, but potentially as another established character from the Mortal Kombat universe. Tan mentioned that he originally played Kung Lao in a never-made TV series, opening up the possibility of revisiting that role. Read his full comments below.

I don’t believe I’ll be reprising the role of Cole. If I were to return for Mortal Kombat III, it would be as a different character. We’re exploring options and discussing how to make that happen, especially since many fans have requested different castings. I’d love to continue being part of the Mortal Kombat world and showcase more advanced action and martial arts with a character who’s actually in the game. Interestingly, I once played Kung Jing in a Mortal Kombat project that was ultimately cancelled, so I’ve had a bit of a history with almost being in the game!

Warner Bros. had already begun working on Mortal Kombat III before the second movie came out. So far, the second Mortal Kombat film has made $71.1 million worldwide on an $80 million budget. How well it does in the coming weeks will probably decide if more movies get made. The filmmakers decided to remove the character Cole Young, which shifted the focus to characters from the video games and made the movie feel more authentic to the source material.

At the conclusion of Mortal Kombat II, Johnny and the remaining fighters plan to bring back those who died during the tournament, using the captured Quan Chi. However, a recent statement suggests Cole won’t be among those revived. This implies the films are prioritizing familiar elements from the games over original storylines. While Cole Turner actor Lewis Tan might return in future installments, he won’t be reprising his role as the main hero.

Cole’s death in Mortal Kombat II happened partly because fans of the original movie didn’t connect with the character. However, it was a surprising twist for viewers who only knew the films, as it shifted the story’s focus in an unexpected way. His death was both shocking and effective, making it feel right to leave him gone. Despite this, given the actor’s skill, a return as a fighter in a future Mortal Kombat installment isn’t impossible.

While it’s uncertain if Tan will reappear in the next Mortal Kombat II movie, the film definitively concluded Cole Young’s storyline. Future installments will concentrate on characters from the original video games. However, Tan could still be woven into those stories, depending on which fighters are introduced and how central they become to the plot.

Read More

2026-05-14 15:50