The Real Reason Mortal Kombat 2 Was Delayed To 2026

Warner Bros. is attempting to build a new video game movie franchise with "Mortal Kombat." A live-action take on the bloody, brutal, beloved fighting game was released in 2021 when the pandemic was still a major factor impacting the box office. All the same, WB decided to move forward with a "Mortal Kombat" sequel, with Simon McQuid returning to direct. While that follow-up, aptly titled "Mortal Kombat II," was originally due to hit theaters in October, it has since been delayed to next summer and is currently set to arrive in May 2026. Now, we know why.

In a report from Deadline focusing on director James Gunn's "Superman" follow-up, "Man of Tomorrow," it's revealed that Warner Bros. is very pleased with how the filmmaker's take on the Man of Steel performed at the box office. "Superman" has made $615 million worldwide, as of this writing, since hitting theaters in July. As it turns out, the studio is hoping it can find similar success with "Mortal Kombat II" next summer.

"'Superman' did so well for Warner Bros, that they were able to push New Line's 'Mortal Kombat II' to mid-May next year as a potential tentpole," the report notes. That's not to say that the video game film will make superhero movie money, but it does indicate a certain level of confidence on the studio's part. This delay doesn't appear to be kicking the can down the road because WB is nervous. Rather, it believes the film has the ability to compete in the midst of the summer season.

For what it's worth, Warner Bros. had a stellar summer at the box office in 2025, with "Final Destination Bloodlines" ($310 million worldwide), "Weapons" ($260 million worldwide), and "F1" ($623 million worldwide) all doing big business, in addition to "Superman." It's not hard to imagine a world where "Mortal Kombat II" could emulate what "Bloodlines" did.

The decision to delay a movie like this isn't usually done lightly. Warner Bros. had already released the first "Mortal Kombat II" trailer in July and was getting ready to unleash a full, months-long marketing campaign. Perhaps the response to Karl Urban as Johnny Cage in the trailer led WB to believe that the sequel could be a legitimate summer blockbuster. The synopsis for the film reads as follows:

This time, the fan favorite champions — now joined by Johnny Cage himself — are pitted against one another in the ultimate, no-holds barred, gory battle to defeat the dark rule of Shao Kahn that threatens the very existence of the Earthrealm and its defenders.

Urban's Johnny Cage is seemingly going to be the main character in the sequel, taking the spotlight away from Lewis Tan's Cole Young, who led the 2021 "Mortal Kombat." While that might not sit well with Tan, the trailer does appear to be very much in line with what fans of the original games would expect from a big screen adaptation.

It's also worth noting that the sequel was originally due to arrive on October 24. On that date, it would be dropping a week after "Black Phone 2" and "Good Fortune," in addition to opening directly against the buzzy "Shelby Oaks" and "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere." Other big movies like "Predator: Badlands" and "The Running Man" are similarly due in early November. Clearly, WB doesn't want "MK2" to get lost in the crowd. 

Aside from Urban, the cast for the sequel also includes Tadanobu Asano (Lord Raiden), Joe Taslim (Bi-Han), Hiroyuki Sanada (Scorpion), Adeline Rudolph (Kitana), Jessica McNamee (Sonya Blade), Josh Lawson (Kano), Ludi Lin (Liu Kang), Mehcad Brooks (Jax), Tati Gabrielle (Jade), Damon Herriman (Quan Chi), and Chin Han (Shang Tsung).

"Mortal Kombat II" hits theaters on May 15, 2026.