Mortal Kombat II, the sequel to the 2021 film based on the popular video game, is officially locked in for an October 24 release date, and hype levels are climbing fast. According to writer Jeremy Slater, who’s no stranger to epic scale filmmaking (his résumé includes Moon Knight, The Umbrella Academy, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire), the Mortal Kombat sequel is not just bigger, it’s Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame-level big. And while many of us rolled our eyes at the idea, Timo Tjahjanto, the director of The Night Comes for Us, also gave his stamp of approval and agreed with the comment.
“I have been to those test screenings, which are full of Mortal Kombat fans, and watching them react to it the way I reacted to Avengers: Endgame. They were cheering and jumping out of their seats. Every joke is landing and they are loving it,” Slater told ComicBook.com. “It’s one of the greatest moments of my life. That’s why you get into this business.”
That’s a really bold statement, especially since Avengers: Endgame is the second-highest-grossing movie of all time. It ended a decade-long cinematic saga and had people ugly crying over Tony Stark. Mortal Kombat 2 has… Johnny Cage. But wait, that Johnny Cage is Karl Urban. And if anyone can uppercut the film into the next gear, it’s probably the guy who plays Butcher in Amazon’s The Boys.
Added to that, returning director Simon McQuoid now seems to have more budget, more blood, and more bones to break than ever before. The 2021 reboot flirted with greatness (and scored a lukewarm 55% on Rotten Tomatoes), but this time they’re not holding back. The sequel promises to deliver what the first film didn’t: the actual Mortal Kombat tournament. “We can’t make people wait another movie and then be like, ‘Come back for the finale,’” Slater confirmed.
The inclusion of the actual tournament alone could make Mortal Kombat II a lot better than the first film. Its absense in the 2021 film caused a lot of debate amongst fans. Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon also recently assured fans that the tournament will be fully integrated into the movie (there’s “a visual representation of who is winning”) and not just some lore thing in the background. That’s a huge step forward already.
Then came a tweet that really made fans sit up. Timo Tjahjanto, the director behind the absolutely brutal The Shadow Strays and the upcoming Nobody 2, dropped his own verdict, probably after seeing an early screening. “Can confirm. MK 2 f**king RULES. Shao Kahn is a goddamn beast. Also some utterly bad ass ladies,” he posted on X.
That’s not casual praise. Coming from someone who’s made a name for brutal action and stylish violence, his approval carries real weight.
The real question now is whether this praise is true, and whether this Mortal Kombat sequel actually pulls off what Avengers: Endgame did for Marvel. But, honestly, it probably doesn’t have to. It just needs to deliver bloody good fights, iconic characters, and a tournament worth watching. And based on early buzz, Mortal Kombat II might be the flawless victory fans have been waiting for.
RELATED: Lewis Tan Executes a Fatality on a Mortal Kombat AI Trailer
