When Warner Bros. first announced that martial arts star Lewis Tan was joining the cast of 2021’s Mortal Kombat, fans were genuinely excited. Many thought he was playing a version of Johnny Cage, while others believed he was going to be revealed as Scorpion. When news broke that he was playing a character that wasn’t in the games, fans scratched their heads… Who is Cole Young, and how does he fit into the Mortal Kombat story from the video games? Well, he didn’t. But according to the head of NetherRealm Studios, Ed Boon, he nearly joined 2023’s Mortal Kombat 1.
At some point during production, Cole Young was planned to make a “kameo” appearance in the game. Talking to Comicbook, Boon revealed earlier plans for the character. “We were talking about freaking everybody out and doing a Cole Young Kameo fighter,” he said, before revealing why it didn’t happen: “We ran out of time. We had to start the next game, and it just never happened.”
That decision killed what could’ve been a strange but clever bridge between the films and the games.
And for all the drama Cole caused in the first live-action film, his washed-up MMA fighter character actually worked because it grounded the film. Like Johnny Cage, he was the normal everyday guy amongst gods, reptiles, and immortals. He was our guide into Earthrealm. And he learnt about the world as we did.
Then, of course, came the big twist. Cole’s heritage is actually tied to Hanzo Hasashi’s.
But it wasn’t enough for fans. They wanted Cage. Not a replica.
So even then, when there were rumors that Cole would join the Mortal Kombat games at some point, fans weren’t interested.
Now, with Mortal Kombat II releasing in theaters on May 8, 2026, the character’s future seems uncertain. Lewis Tan has been noticeably absent from the trailers and even some press junkets. Does that mean he’ll be killed off early on in the film? Plenty of fans have theories about his future in the franchise.
Whether or not he does disappear from the film franchise remains to be seen. For now, it seems like there’s an open space for him in the video games. Perhaps Cole Young could show up in the Mortal Kombat 1 video game sequel?
For now, he’s still stuck somewhere between canon and rumors.
