Mortal Kombat sequel is a go, many original stars expected to return

It's time to FIGHT! ... again.

Nine months after the latest live-action Mortal Kombat movie premiered simultaneously on HBO Max and in theaters, New Line is officially developing a sequel. While the film is still in the early stages, many of the original stars, as well as the filmmakers, are expected to return, EW has learned.

Jeremy Slater, the head writer of Disney+ Marvel series Moon Knight, was recently tapped to write the sequel. No other cast or crew members have been announced, and a script hasn't been written at this stage, so story details are scarce.

"Beyond excited to be joining this team!" Slater tweeted. "We're building something bigger and better and bloodier that's going to blow people's minds."

The first film, directed by Simon McQuoid, followed Cole Young (Lewis Tan), a down-on-his-luck MMA fighter who learns he's a descendant of an ancient fighter named Hanzo Hasashi (Hiroyuki Sanada), a.k.a. fan-favorite character Scorpion. Cole was fated to become one of Earth's champions to stand against enemies from Outworld, another dimension, in a high-stakes tournament that determines the fate of the universe.

The tournament, the titular Mortal Kombat, didn't actually play out in the movie. Instead, characters like Jax (Mehcad Brooks), Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), and Liu Kang (Ludi Lin) had to fight for their lives as Shang Tsung (Chin Han), the emperor of Outworld, tried to wipe out Earth's fighters before the tournament's start.

Warner Bros. Pictures Ludi Lin's Liu Kang and Max Huang as Kung Lao in 2021's 'Mortal Kombat.'

Josh Lawson (Kano), Joe Taslim (Bih-Han/Subzero), Tadanobu Asano (Lord Raiden), Max Huang (Kung Lao), and Sisi Stringer (Mileena) also featured in the film.

The ending of Mortal Kombat set the stage for the debut of video game character Johnny Cage, and the internet already came up with their preferred pick to play him.

Tan is among the stars most likely to return for Mortal Kombat 2. The actor tweeted about the news Wednesday, saying, "Just wait till you see what we have for you next !!"

McNamee and Brooks also expressed their excitement.

"Mortal Kombat 2.0 baby!!!" the actress wrote.

"It's official. Round 2. Y'all ready?" Brooks added.

"Love my MK family. Thank you for being patient," producer Todd Garner tweeted. "We are working hard to ensure it was worth the wait."

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• 'The birth of Scorpion': Mortal Kombat star goes behind iconic character's vengeful origins

• Man of action: Mortal Kombat star Lewis Tan enters a new arena with his meatiest role yet