Mortal Kombat: Kung Lao Actor Max Huang Initially Auditioned for Liu Kang

The Mortal Kombat live-action reboot will feature the first big-screen appearance of Kung Lao, who [...]

By Marc Deschamps

The Mortal Kombat live-action reboot will feature the first big-screen appearance of Kung Lao, who will be played by actor Max Huang. Huang has shown a lot of enthusiasm for the role, but it seems he initially had his sights set on an entirely different Kombatant in the film! In a Mortal Kombat set visit, Huang revealed that he originally auditioned to play Liu Kang. That part inevitably went to co-star Ludi Lin, but Huang's audition clearly had an impact on the filmmakers. Huang has a 10-year history as a stuntman, but has long desired to be an actor that performs his own stunts.

"I want to be an actor who can do all the action by himself. So I went to the States, went to America and got very lucky, I signed up with a management and couple months later I got the audition, originally for Liu Kang, Ludi's part, so that didn't happen and life went on and I didn't think much about it," said Huang. "And then a couple of weeks later they called back and they said, well, we would like to offer you the part of Kung Lao. And I was like, okay. So yeah, that was how I joined the project."

After getting the role, Huang began playing the Mortal Kombat games for research. The actor familiarized himself with Kung Lao's fatalities and brutalities, and even went so far as to construct his own take on the character's trademark hat! Kung Lao has played an important role in the games since his initial appearance in Mortal Kombat II, but the character did not appear in either of the previous films based on the franchise. Huang says that adds a bit of pressure to get the character right.

It remains to be seen whether Huang will be successful in the role, and whether or not the Mortal Kombat reboot can deliver on the hype. For Huang, it won't be for lack of trying, regardless of which Kombatant he initially tried out for!

The Mortal Kombat film reboot will release in theaters and on HBO Max April 16th. Readers can find out more by checking out the rest of ComicBook.com's coverage of the Mortal Kombat reboot right here.

Are you looking forward to the Mortal Kombat reboot? Which characters are you most interested in seeing in the movie? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!

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