Mortal Kombat II is releasing in theaters later this year in 2025, and many are excited for it. But in recent weeks I have been wondering something. Mortal Kombat had a hit with its first film, a disastrous second film and a reboot that was generally okay but had a lot of rough spots. Are movies the right thing to do for Mortal Kombat adaptations?
Yes, Mortal Kombat is known for its violence and gore, but the series is known for its well developed storylines in the games. Mortal Kombat 9’s story mode was considered by many to be the best MK movie, and yet actual Mortal Kombat movies often tone down elements and rush through the story. This of course runs into a problem as character deaths must occur and yet a popular character may have fans wanting them back in future movies. The recent film’s attempt to work around that feels a bit like a cop out and we are left with adaptations that feel like they miss the actual depth of the franchise’s storytelling.
But what if it went in another direction? Let’s look back a couple of decades and recall a different Mortal Kombat adaptation. Mortal Kombat Conquest was a TV show that was meant as a prequel to the 90s films, and was one of many shows made to piggy back on the success of Hercules and Xena. It was not a particularly great show, being heavily limited in what it could actually do, ( though when I got a chance to visit the set as a kid, it was still amazing for me), but it does raise another possibility for the present day.
Video games have been receiving more TV adaptations recently, such as The Last of Us, Twisted Metal, Halo and Fallout. Not all have been excellent, but when done right, the good adaptations are beloved by fans and manage to get the series’ lore across in interesting ways. What if Mortal Kombat went in this direction instead of a movie?
A Mortal Kombat series could be done for HBO MAX and not need to worry about censorship issues the same way movies do, while also having much more time to spread out and develop its story. It could introduce Kombatants over a longer period of time, develop them and their interactions with others and actually make deaths meaningful and impactful.If a character catches on with fans, the writers can have more room to expand on them, and likewise remove issues fans have.
A series like this could pick from any of the three eras of the games to adapt from, though going from the start may be best, and build from that. Imagine a season that adapts Mortal Kombat 3 and Shao Khan’s invasion of Earthrealm and how the characters deal with such an outcome. Of course, it would not need to be an exact replica of the story from the games, but this could be the chance to have a Mortal Kombat adaptation that finally tells the story in a way that not only satisfies everyone, but manages to expand on it in ways people will like.
Of course, this is just my opinion, and I will be going to see Mortal Kombat II in theaters and I am hoping it does well. I just think there is more potential for the series in terms of adaptations.
