Mortal Kombat: Kung Lao Actor Max Huang on Holding the Iconic Hat for the First Time

When the Mortal Kombat reboot movie releases in theaters and on HBO Max in April, it brings with it a whole host of characters from the popular fighting game franchise. That includes, but is not limited to, some truly wild ones like Kung Lao, who uses an iconic bladed hat as a weapon. As part of a set visit attended by ComicBook.com during the filming of the movie, actor Max Huang — who plays Kung Lao — revealed that he had made his own cardboard hat to get the feel for things, but it didn’t really compare to holding the real thing in his hands for the very first time.

“It was great because they actually flew me out to New Zealand just for the hat fitting,” Huang said, “and once I was holding the hat, the real hat in my hand — I mean it was pretty heavy. So you know a cardboard hat is quite light, I got to do a lot of moves with it. But OK, then you get the heavy hat and it’s quite different. But I mean with the hat you start to really get into the role and really start to become the character I think because that’s what ultimately makes him so special, is the hat.”

If for whatever reason you haven’t seen it yet, here is the official synopsis for the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie:

“MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage—or why Outworld’s Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family’s safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana—the immense power from within his soul—in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?”

The Mortal Kombat reboot film is currently scheduled to release on April 16th on both HBO Max and in theaters. The cast includes Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion, Josh Lawson as Kano, Tadanobu Asano as Raiden, Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Sisi Stringer as Mileena, and Lewis Tan as new character Cole Young. It wrapped filming late last year. You can check out all of our previous coverage of the film right here.

What do you think about Huang’s comments on the hat? Are you looking forward to the movie releasing in April? Let us know in the comments, or feel free to reach out and hit me up directly over on Twitter at @rollinbishop to talk about all things gaming!