Mortal Kombat Producer on Kano: "He's Just Dogs Off Chains"

The new Mortal Kombat movie features many of the most popular characters from the iconic video game franchise. The likes of Raiden, Liu Kang, Sonya Blade, and others are vital to the actual story of Mortal Kombat, but there are some characters that just continue to be important because of how incredibly enjoyable they are. Kano is the king of that castle. The foul-mouthed Australian mercenary is known as one of the funniest and craziest characters in all of Mortal Kombat, a legacy that continues in the upcoming live-action film.

This version of Kano is played by Josh Lawson, who is best known for his roles on TV shows like Superstore and House of Lies. His casting may have raised a few eyebrows initially, but producer Todd Garner explained during a set visit that Lawson was actually the perfect actor for the job. According to Garner, Lawson brought an insane and lawless energy to Kano that made everyone around him better.

"He's killing it. He's just dogs off chains," Garner said. "We're like, 'Go ahead, say whatever you want.' And he says the craziest stuff in this movie. He's just out of his mind and he's the perfect guy for it, because he just doesn't care. I mean that character is known for that. It was like throwing everything away. It's just so great to have him, and Jess [McNamee] is doing amazing, you know they haven't done this kind of stuff before. And so it's the theory of Rising Tide Raises All Ships. When you see these guys doing it, you'll probably see if she comes on set, literally Jess with dumbbells, going like this. You know, everybody's off camera and everybody's like, 'Oh shit, okay. I've got to go stretch.'

"It's like playing with Michael Jordan. Everybody's game's risen because this is not like, 'All right, cut.' And everybody's outside smoking a cigarette, when the stunties go in and do it. It's not happening."

If the trailer is any indication, Lawson is likely to be one of the biggest scene-stealers in all of Mortal Kombat. Fans are certainly looking forward to seeing what Lawson and the rest of the cast bring to the table.

Are you excited for Mortal Kombat to finally arrive? Which character are you most looking forward to seeing? Let us know in the comments!

Mortal Kombat arrives on HBO Max and in theaters on April 16th.