‘Mortal Kombat III’ Confirmed: Cast and Director Talk Sequel and Release Delays at NYCC

Mortal Kombat III is officially happening, and fans got the news at New York Comic Con on Saturday. Screenwriter Jeremy Slater announced that New Line and Warner Bros. have greenlit the next film, encouraging audiences to support Mortal Kombat II in theaters next summer.

“Make sure they know there’s an audience for this movie because we want to keep making them for you guys,” Slater told the excited crowd.

Slater joined director Simon McQuoid and cast members Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Tati Gabrielle, and Martyn Ford on stage to discuss the sequel, delays, and what fans can expect from the next chapter.

When asked about the release date moving from October to May 16, 2026, McQuoid explained that the delay was “a victim of our own success.” “Every time people have seen this movie, it’s gained momentum,” he said. “We’ve created a massive summer blockbuster… Yes, we have to wait, but it’s going to feel massive when it comes out.”

The panel started with a behind-the-scenes featurette, teasing the film’s large scale, deadly fatalities, and flawless victories. McQuoid emphasized that the sequel will focus on Johnny Cage (Urban) and Kitana (Rudolph), while expanding the story and the Mortal Kombat universe.

“We felt that we just scratched the surface. There is so much to Mortal Kombat, to the lore, so much to work with that I thought we could just expand everything onto an even greater scale,” he said. “It was about pushing the boundaries with everything… much higher highs and lower lows. I wanted us to journey through all of the realms and different places, levels and environments.”

New behind-the-scenes look at #MortalKombatII – Coming to theaters May 15, 2026. pic.twitter.com/QXsz7L3zkn

Slater added that balancing action, narrative, and character growth was a challenge. “It’s a great problem to have when you have a movie with 20 main characters. There’s so much to choose from. You can’t make a six-hour Mortal Kombat movie,” he explained. But McQuoid assured fans that the film will not skimp on action, promising roughly twice as many fight sequences as the first film.

“The tournament allowed us to create a structure… All of our characters, their journeys have to go through the tournament,” he said. “We wanted to do that in a way that was visually massive, interesting, but has the variety that Mortal Kombat always has.”

The director also revealed that the film will be shown in IMAX, with special sequences designed to make the most of the format. “I actually wanted to do something with that real estate that, if you consider yourself a fan of Mortal Kombat, you have to see it in IMAX. There are some little bits of joy in there. You won’t see it in regular screenings, and it affects the story a little bit,” McQuoid said.

Urban shared insight into Johnny Cage’s journey, explaining that the character starts the story in a low place. “When we first see him, he’s a very dispirited character. His career is completely in the tank. He’s not been keeping up with his training. The world has forgotten who Johnny Cage is… He’s just a broken man,”

Urban said. Cage then rises to the challenge, transforming into a hero for Earthrealm over the course of the movie. Slater added that starting Cage at a low point gave the character room to grow. “The Johnny Cage of the game isn’t necessarily a character you can go on a journey with. He already has everything. It was fun to start him at a lower place and watch him become the Johnny Cage we know and love,” he said.

With the green light for Mortal Kombat III and the promise of more action, emotion, and story, the franchise is set to expand even further.

From the panel, it’s clear that the filmmakers are committed to giving fans bigger fights, deeper character moments, and more of the Mortal Kombat world to explore. Are you excited to see Johnny Cage’s journey continue? Share your thoughts in the comments.