Mortal Kombat 2 Movie Delayed to May 2026 Despite Strong Early Buzz

Mortal Kombat 2 Movie (Credit: WB)

The Mortal Kombat 2 movie, originally slated to release on October 24, 2025, has been delayed to May 15, 2026.

The shift comes despite positive feedback from early test screenings. According to Deadline, the move is less about the film’s quality and more about timing, as Warner Bros. and New Line aim for a stronger mid-year slot rather than competing in October’s already crowded schedule.

The Halloween-adjacent release window wasn’t seen as the most lucrative, especially with other big titles lined up, including Paramount’s Regretting You and 20th Century Studios’ Springsteen biopic.

This sequel is a follow-up to the 2021 live-action Mortal Kombat film, which was announced back in January 2021. Jeremy Slater, best known for his work on Marvel’s Moon Knight series, is handling the script, while Simon McQuoid returns as director after helming the first movie.

To date, New Line’s three Mortal Kombat films have earned a combined $257.8 million worldwide, with the red-band trailer for the sequel setting a record of over 106 million views in 24 hours.

The cast this time is stacked with familiar faces and some exciting newcomers. Karl Urban, known for his role in The Boys, steps in as Johnny Cage, a fan-favorite fighter finally making his live-action debut in this timeline. Returning characters include Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion. Adeline Rudolph, Tati Gabrielle, and CJ Bloomfield join the lineup as Kitana, Jade, and Baraka respectively, while Chin Han reprises his role as Shang Tsung.

As for story details, Mortal Kombat 2 will dive deeper into the franchise’s mythos. Fans can expect Earthrealm’s warriors, now joined by Cage, facing off against the looming threat of Shao Kahn in a brutal, high-stakes tournament. With gory battles, new rivalries, and returning legends, the sequel aims to raise the bar set by its predecessor.

Warner Bros. seems confident that mid-May is the better battleground, especially after seeing summer success with Final Destination: Bloodlines earlier this year. On May 15, 2026, Mortal Kombat 2 will open against Amazon MGM’s Is God Is and an untitled Neon release.

Meanwhile latest game release in the series, Mortal Kombat 1, which has sold over 6 million copies, is officially winding down, with NetherRealm Studios confirming that the game is now “content complete” and won’t be receiving any more DLC or story expansions. After two seasons of updates — including the Kombat Pack and Khaos Reigns expansion — the studio is shifting focus to its next project, which is widely rumored to be Injustice 3.