Welcome to Lewis Tan’s jungle. If the Asian American actor isn’t crushing some whoop-ass fight choreography in Mortal Kombat, Wu Assassins, Cobra Kai, Shadow and Bone, or October’s Safe House, he’s busy honing his martial arts in the gym. And even though Tan’s highly-anticipated Mortal Kombat 2 got pushed until 2026, he recently opened the heist flick Wildcat opposite Kate Beckinsale.
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Wildcat follows Ada [Beckinsale], a former elite military operative and single mother determined to live a normal life. But when her screwball brother Edward [Rasmus Hardiker] comes up short on the money he borrowed from the criminal underworld, they kidnap Ada’s deaf 8-year-old daughter, Charlotte [Isabelle Moxley]. To ensure her child’s safety and pay off Edward’s debt. Ada is tasked with completing a high-stakes diamond heist. Desperate, she reunites her old team to pull off the caper, including her former ex, the handsome and sympathetic Roman [Tan]. What could possibly go wrong?
Sporting a Guns N’ Roses t-shirt, Tan zoomed with ComicBook about cranking up the action in Wildcat, offering a stand-out comment on his character Cole’s dynamic with newcomer Johnny Cage:
“[Cole] is well aware of what he is getting himself into. Now, it’s almost like Johnny Cage is the one we have to convince. He was similarly in Cole’s position. Now, he’s the one we need to get on board with what’s happening. Cole is in a place where he could explain this to someone else. He is almost looking at Johnny Cage like, “Yeah, bro. I just went through that. You have a lot ahead of you… Cole definitely empathizes with Johnny because he gets thrown in the mix. At this point, it’s much more serious. The stakes are way higher and way more intense.”
Tan also went into his experience mastering assault weapons, Mortal Kombat 2’s R-rating, the battle scars he earned, and his wish list if cast as DC superhero Nightwing. The rest of the interview follows.
ComicBook: What heist flicks do you love, and why is there such an appetite for them?
Lewis Tan: I love a good robbery film. I love Dog Day Afternoon. That is probably one of the best ones. I love The Town. The Italian Job is great. Heat. This movie is interesting, though, because they are doing it for a different reason, which is why I like Dog Day Afternoon. They are doing it for a reason that means more to them than money. Even though it’s a heist movie with crazy characters and that London, fast-talking slang. At the bottom of it, it’s a movie about “How far would you go to save somebody that you love?”
There is more depth to the characters than just getting rich.
At least for my character, he doesn’t even care about that at all. It didn’t even cross his mind. Roman was just saving someone, saving a child, and helping someone he loves and could never have a relationship with. Maybe this is his way of paying her back for all the heartbreak.
You have perfected portraying these men of action. What makes Roman different than some of your other roles?
He is more of a sensitive character. I’ve played some cutthroat characters. I have played characters that have some sensitivity, but Roman is one of those perfect balances. He is very talented and skillful, and resourceful physically. But he’s a pretty sensitive dude and wants to have a family, wants to be in a relationship. He wants to feel what it is like to be normal, but it’s always been the wrong circumstances to do it. I found that very interesting.
Do you view him as the glue that holds this motley crew together?
Yeah, definitely. I like the character dynamics and getting to work with those other actors. Putting us in the same room together, the characters are all so different. It can either be a disaster or it can really work. Something about that dynamic worked for me. It’s a different tone to do these types of movies. The movie is about a kidnapping, which is horrible, but it’s funny and has a lot of heart. It has a lot of action. It’s mixed together. I enjoy those movies, but it’s hard to find the right tone and rhythm for. What it really comes down to is chemistry and the characters. All of us got along.
When you get a script like Wildcat, do you immediately flip to the action sequences?
No. No. I like to find some sort of music that will go with the feeling that I would have with the story, based on the genre. I will put the music on and read the script, start to finish. That initial read is probably the most important, influential read. Then I will read it again for where can I break down all the parts that are going to be challenging or that I can do something interesting with. I will go over that. But director James Nunn has done a lot of action movies before, and he’s done some really cool ones like One Shot. But he was really open, when we first met, to talking and collaborating on building something with the action. So, I didn’t really look at anything when I read it. I kinda made it like a blank slate and then when I got there, I helped build something with James and the action scene.
How would you describe Roman’s fighting style, because it felt as if the first few fights were gritty and then the last one leaned more into your martial arts expertise?
Roman is a resourceful kind of fighter. There was a scene that was cut out that I just posted, where he was in the middle of trying to save a lady, and he gets into a big fight. It’s quickly in the movie now, but it was much longer. You can see the way he fights that he is not trying to kill people. Roman is trying to get out of a situation and survive. In the beginning, because there was a lot of guns involved, he was trying to navigate his way through it.
In the end, he was being much more resourceful with his surroundings, with whatever he could use. I think I used a nail gun. I think I used a pipe, a hammer, and a big wrench. The sticks. A car as a shield. We went to the location in Bulgaria, where we shot that, and we looked around and freestyled it, and building and building how we could make it more entertaining, fun, and cool. It was great to be able to collaborate on that action sequence. I hope to do more of that work in the future… kind of behind the scenes.
As you mentioned, there’s plenty of gunplay in the movie. Even though you’re not new to firearms, there are some massive guns. How well-versed were you with those? Did that require special training?
Yeah, we had a few people on set with us who were part of the British Special Forces, who were guiding us through the right movements so that we were legit. It was different. I have never used anything like that in any other movie. And they are huge and heavy. They are hard to navigate. It’s harder to run and harder to jump. Mad respect to guys who actually do that for real.
There is a scene in the car where we pull up to this estate where all these gangsters are. They are surrounding the car. We were supposed to surprise them by pulling these guns out of nowhere. James was like, “Yeah, just pull them from under your seat.” Like they couldn’t see them? This thing is big. I was trying to hide it as best I can and trying to smoothly pull it out. It looked OK in the cut, but in real life, it felt a bit clunky.
Your co-star Kate Beckinsale notably headed the Underworld franchise. Does playing in the vampire or werewolf sandbox appeal to you?
I am obsessed with vampire lore. Bram Stoker’s Dracula is one of my favorite movies of all time. I just recently watched the Luc Besson Dracula, which was absolutely incredible. I would love to do that. If anyone has any vampire ideas out there, holler at me. That is on my bucket list, in the top three of things I want to. There is something so raw and so timeless about it, almost Shakespearean in the lore of the vampire. I am dying to do it. And we haven’t seen any Asian vampire films unless they are shot in Asia. It would be great to do that. I’m waiting for the phone call.
Shifting to Mortal Kombat II, the first film found your character, Cole, thrust into this world of tournaments. How has he changed since audiences last saw him?
Well, thank God, he knows about the tournament now because it took the whole first movie to explain that. But, at this point in time, he is well aware of what he is getting himself into. Now, it’s almost like Johnny Cage is the one we have to convince. He was similarly in Cole’s position. Now, he’s the one we need to get on board with what’s happening. Cole is in a place where he could explain this to someone else. He is almost looking at Johnny Cage like, “Yeah, bro. I just went through that. You have a lot ahead of you.”
Would you classify them as kindred spirits? Given those shared circumstances, do they click?
Cole definitely empathizes with Johnny because he gets thrown in the mix. At this point, it’s much more serious. The stakes are way higher and way more intense. There is almost not enough time to really get into it. They really wanted to step up the action in this movie, and they really did, which is a lot for me to say that.
In the previous instalment, Cole battled Sub-Zero, Kano, and Shang Tsung. Even before you received the script, were there specific rematches you were gunning for to take place? Or were you hoping to face off against some new villains from the video game?
Ah, man. That’s a great question. Myself, as a fan, wanted to fight certain characters. I did want a rematch with Sub-Zero because Johannes Taslim and I are such good friends. I think he is such an incredible martial artist. I feel like in our last fight, they cut it down a lot in the first movie. I wanted to show more. So, we got to show more in the second movie, but unfortunately not with me and Joe.
But I do have one of the most epic fights in the second movie, for sure. The location of the fight and who Cole gets to fight was pretty special. That will be a fan-favorite moment.
In what ways have they elevated the action?
To be honest, in the first movie, there was so much to tell story-wise, and it was difficult to enter that IP. Where do you start, and how do you make this a two-hour movie and tell the story properly? It’s really almost like an introduction film. The second movie is the tournament.
To answer your question, they really let the action team go crazy in the second one. Whereas in the first one, they were trying to balance the storyline with the fights. In the second one, it’s the tournament. We were already in. We are already sold. The tournament is there. It’s happening, and now we can set up all the different fights everybody wanted to see. And they really gave the action team free rein to run with it, shoot it, and the way it was edited. When you do that, and you have a good team, and you trust them, you get gold. It’s not that they didn’t do that in the first movie, but I think they were just trying to balance too many things, and we learned from those moments.
Mortal Kombat received an R-rating. How bloody, gory, and violent is the sequel?
I think it’s worse. Some of the fatalities and some of the fights are worse. But they are way more detailed and way more complex, which is what I wanted… to step up the level of complexity and depth in the fights. It’s Mortal friggin Kombat. We should have the best fight movie of the year. That has to be the goal. I think we accomplished that.
Did you earn any battle scars, lumps, or broken bones from this endeavor?
If I tell you what happened to me, people are going to figure out who I fought. I will say that, yeah, I had a bunch of bruises. I was pretty banged up on this one for reasons that will soon be discovered. I love this stuff. I love to get into the performance as much as I can and do all the fights that I can. I think in the second movie, there was only one big stunt that I didn’t do because it was pretty gnarly. My character does a double backflip and lands on the floor. Stuff like that is a little too dangerous for me to be doing. You are bound to take a couple of hits and bangs when you do fights, but it’s worth it.
We previously spoke about the Nightwing fancasting. What’s at the core of that hero that speaks to you?
He almost has a darker story, in a way. All I can say is if it’s done in a darker tone, it could be really interesting. And I also love the way that he fights. I think I could bring a lot to the table. I have ideas for the character that could make it something special. If it ever happens, then I can share those.
Is it true you had a meeting with DC Entertainment about Nightwing?
I have had meetings with DC for multiple projects. We have discussed certain things, but nothing I can confirm right now.
Did you ever have conversations with Chris McKay, who was originally attached to direct?
Yeah, I did talk to Chris. We did have a few conversations about Nightwing.
Who out of Nightwing’s rogues gallery would give you a run for your money?
I’m not sure. Who would you say?
There’s Shrike. Or for brute strength, Blockbuster. Lady Vic could match him in combat.
Yeah, get a badass female in there. I could see that.
There’s a certain nostalgia for Nightwing’s ’80s costume design. What iteration of his colorful threads would you rock?
Are you talking this one? [pulls up Nightwing debuting his costume in Tales of the Teens Titans on his phone] Oh, I could do this. I could do this all day. Realistically, you could alter this slightly and make it a little more modern. But I could pop a collar like that, for sure.
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