How Cole Young Became the Heart of Mortal Kombat 2021

When Wu Assassins star Lewis Tan was cast in 2021’s Mortal Kombat, there was a lot of debate about whom he would be playing in the reboot movie. Some people presumed he would be Johnny Cage, while others thought he might end up being revealed as Scorpion in the end – however, no one predicted it would be a brand-new character to Mortal Kombat named Cole Young.

Expectedly, the reaction from fans was: “Who the hell is Cole Young?” In a franchise as rich as Mortal Kombat, there’s no shortage of characters to pull from. (Heck, Tan could have even been someone like the super-duper unpopular Kurtis Stryker.) Even before the film dropped in theatres, the attitude toward Cole wasn’t positive, with the belief he would be like Alice from the Resident Evil movies: an unnecessary creation. Yet, here’s the thing: Cole Young is actually one of the shining lights of Mortal Kombat and here’s why.

Who is Cole Young in 2021’s Mortal Kombat?

When fans meet Cole Young for the first time in 2021’s Mortal Kombat movie, he is a former MMA champion who is now competing for scraps. As a fighter, his reputation has diminished, and he is seen as washed-up, while he tries to take any fight he can to earn money to support his wife, Allison, and daughter, Emily.

Cole’s family is attacked by Sub-Zero, but they are all saved by Major Jackson “Jax” Briggs before it becomes all too chilling. Wondering why an ice ninja is on the prowl, Cole joins up with Jax, Sonya Blade, and other warriors to get the lowdown on this peculiar chain of events. Ultimately, Cole discovers that he is a descendant of Hanzo Hasashi, aka Scorpion. After Cole and Scorpion vanquish Sub-Zero once and for all, the spectral ninja tells his descendant to protect the Hasashi name before disappearing.

Cole is important to the medium of film

Without a shadow of a doubt, Cole Young is the eyes of the audience in 2021’s Mortal Kombat. He experiences this rich world for the first time and comes to discover there’s an actual fighting tournament that determines the fate of humanity. Throughout this journey, he meets the other characters that have established backstories and general familiarity among the audience.

Unlike other random protagonists created to be the “eyes,” Cole actually serves a purpose in this story. His connection to the franchise makes sense and expands the lore in a logical and progressive manner. By closely tying him with Scorpion and Sub-Zero – the two most popular characters – it also helps to build him as an important character here.

While it’s all too easy to say he’s unnecessary since there are other characters to pull from in the series, this film chooses to do something new, which is fundamental to any creative project. What is the point of rehashing the same story from video games? Isn’t that what the 1995 film adaptation and various animated movies have already done? By introducing someone like Cole, freshens up the narrative for the medium and moves the storytelling forward.

The future of Cole is exciting

Mortal Kombat 2 is on the way, and it’s confirmed that Lewis Tan will reprise his role as Cole Young. At the moment, it’s unclear how big his role will be since there will be an expanded cast of characters, including Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage, Adeline Rudolph’s Kitana, and Tati Gabrielle’s Jade.

Technically, Hanzo Hasashi placed the future of the bloodline in Cole’s hands before disappearing at the end of 2021’s Mortal Kombat. While people staying well and truly gone in this franchise is about as common as arguments on the internet, there is a strong chance that Cole could assume the mantle of Scorpion here.

Speaking to CNET, Tan said, “When he finds out his heritage, that’s just the beginning of where we can go with this character. He just learned towards the end of the film, that’s almost his beginning – like a Cole prequel.”

Naturally, this indicates there is a possibility that more could be done to strengthen the family ties in the sequel – like there have been multiple people who have used the Sub-Zero moniker, the same could happen with Scorpion. Alternatively, maybe Cole will turn out like Cassie Cage and Jacqui Briggs, who are simply their own next-generation characters. Time will tell.

RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Lewis Tan Chats to Us About Mortal Kombat (2021)

Tell us, what did you think of Cole Young in 2021’s Mortal Kombat? Let us know!