Mortal Kombat Movie Almost Featured Danny Glover

"I'm getting too old for this sh-t"

You know movies based on video games haven't improved all that much in the past two-decades when a good number of people still cite New Line's Mortal Kombat (1995) as one of the best in the genre. Not that's a bad film, but let's be honest: it's not that original. It's basically an unofficial remake of Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon (1973) but with fantastical elements, CGI creatures, and a sick score.

During a recent interview, NetherRealm Studios creative director Ed Boon revealed that New Line actually wanted someone other than Christopher Lambert (Highlander) to portray Raiden — the Earthrealm protector that guides Liu Kang, Johnny Cage, and Sonya Blade on their journey.

"They had some pretty wild suggestions for characters," Boon told IGN. "I remember them saying they wanted Danny Glover to be Raiden."

Boon also recalled New Line's bizarre idea for Kano's iconic eye plate. "And they had... Kano originally just had like a pirate eye patch," he shared. NetherRealm Studios insisted on the eye plate, but it was only when focus groups demanded the eye plate as well that New Line backed off on the eye patch.

Mortal Kombat (1995) - Lord Rayden has rescued them, but he cannot fight for them. They – a martial artist, an action film star, a soldier – are the chosen three. And while the world's fate rests on their shoulders, the rest of us can enjoy the thrills as they compete to save us all in the body-slamming, mystical-tinged, full-tilt spectacle of creatures and conflict that is Mortal Kombat.

Paul Anderson directs this astonishing and trend-setting experience that showed how to turn a smash-hit video game into a movie smash.

The cast features Christopher Lambert as Raiden, Robin Shou as Liu Kang, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Shang Tsung, Linden Ashby as Johnny Cage, Bridgette Wilson as Sonya Blade, Talisa Soto as Princess Kitana, Trevor Goddard as Kano, and Kevin Michael Richardson as the voice of Goro.

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