Mortal Kombat: Here Is the Cast of the New Movie

Rollin Bishop

08/13/2020 09:49 am EDT

At this point, not too terribly much is known about the upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot film. There have been a few hints and teases, of course, from the production, but no trailer or even a brief video to speak of ever since it wrapped filming. The one thing we know a good chunk about for sure is the sizable cast and who they are playing in the new film.

In case you weren't already aware, the Mortal Kombat reboot film is currently scheduled to release on January 15, 2021. It wrapped filming late last year. And if you are interested, you can check out all of our previous coverage of the film right here. We have also compiled the confirmed and notable cast below the sake of convenience, in case you just want to check them all out and who they are playing in one go rather than scrolling through various casting announcements.

Ludi Lin as Liu Kang

Ludi Lin's casting as Liu Kang last August might have been a surprise to some, but the Power Rangers alum feels like a perfect fit for the role from where I'm standing. And while he wasn't given the same spotlight in Aquaman, his turn in the role of Murk was successful enough to give me some excitement about him in the reboot. Liu Kang, if you are somehow not familiar, might be one of just many fighters from Earthrealm in the Mortal Kombat franchise, but he is effectively its protagonist -- which was also evident in the '90s films.

Mehcad Brooks as Jax

(Photo: Photo by Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic)

While the casting of Mehcad Brooks as Jax in the reboot may have been met by a few head scratches, it is hard to deny that he absolutely looks the part in several shared looks of his training routine and the like. Brooks is perhaps best known for portraying James "Jimmy" Olsen on the Supergirl television show. Jax, the character, is best known for his mechanical arm enhancements and working alongside Sonya Blade in law enforcement agencies.

Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade

(Photo: Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images)

Jessica McNamee plays Sonya Blade in the upcoming reboot. McNamee has a bunch of acting credits to her name and is perhaps best known for her role in The Meg as well as the television series Packed to the Rafters. Blade, the character, regularly works alongside Jax, as noted previously, and has long had beef with the character Kano.

Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion

(Photo: Photo by Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for HBO)

Hiroyuki Sanada plays Scorpion in the new film, and it's hard to imagine a more decorated actor for the character. Sanada has appeared in many popular movies and television shows including Westworld, Avengers: Endgame, Sunshine, and more. The character of Scorpion is a bit convoluted as he has returned from death to get revenge on Sub-Zero, but depending on when exactly the movie picks up his arc, it could be far more complex than that. Scorpion is known for throwing a spiked chain and dragging enemies to him -- "Get over here!" being an extremely popular phrase of his -- as well as his ability to produce flames.

Josh Lawson as Kano

(Photo: Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Australians in Film)

Josh Lawson has been tapped to play Kano in the upcoming reboot. Lawson is perhaps best known for roles on television shows like Superstore and House of Lies, which makes his physical ability a bit of a question mark as neither role required particularly difficult tasks of the same nature. Kano, the character, is a notorious criminal that regularly runs afoul of the likes of Jax and Sonya Blade, and he has some cybernetic enhancements -- most notably on one of his eyes.

Tadanobu Asano as Raiden

(Photo: Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Netflix)

Like Hiroyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano has a long list of acting credits to his name, but he might be most familiar to our readers for his role as Hogun in Marvel's Thor movie franchise. Asano plays Raiden, a thunder god and protector of Earthrealm in the franchise. Raiden often serves as a mentor to the other Earthrealm fighters, providing them with guidance and assistance while fighting himself as well.

Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero

Joe Taslim was cast to play Sub-Zero in the upcoming reboot back in July 2019. Taslim, if you're not familiar, is perhaps best known for his roles in The Raid, Fast & Furious 6, and more. In short, his physical work should be excellent as the character. Sub-Zero, the character, is known for freezing his opponents and his longstanding rivalry with Scorpion. It will be interesting to see how the two characters interact in the film as both are included.

Chin Han as Shang Tsung

(Photo: Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/FilmMagic)

Of all the longtime Mortal Kombat villains and antagonists, few measure up to the sorcerer Shang Tsung, who portrayed by Chin Han in the upcoming reboot. Han has been in plenty of films and shows, but readers likely have seen him in either the recent Ghost in the Shell movie or the Arrow television show. Tsung is basically the villain of all villains in Mortal Kombat, and it is hard to imagine him serving a different role in the reboot.

Sisi Stringer as Mileena

(Photo: IMDB)

Sisi Stringer as Mileena is another bit of a wild card in the upcoming reboot. Stringer doesn't have much in the way of acting credits to her name, and Mileena herself, in the franchise, is a weird mutant hybrid based on Kitana, former princess and recent ruler of Outworld in Mortal Kombat canon. As Kitana herself has not officially been announced for the film, it is a bit strange to see Mileena in there. Notably, Kitana regularly serves as a love interest for Liu Kang.

Max Huang as Kung Lao

(Photo: IMDB)

Max Huang as Kung Lao has slipped a little under the radar when compared to other castings, which is likely thanks in part to the fact that he has largely been known for his stunt work on films like Kingsman: The Secret Service prior to joining the Mortal Kombat reboot. Kung Lao, the character, is a longtime ally of Liu Kang and is known for wearing a wide-brimmed hat with razor-sharp metal edges.

Lewis Tan as ???

Of the entire cast, Lewis Tan is the one big unknown. While we've known about Tan's casting for some time, his exact role remains unannounced. Officially, we know he is a lead character, which has led to speculation that he could be filling the role of Johnny Cage in the film as it is one of the few big characters that have not yet been revealed as part of the movie. Tan is perhaps best known for his roles in shows like Into the Badlands and Iron Fist as well as a brief appearance as Shatterstar in Deadpool 2.

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