The upcoming Mortal Kombat reboot will introduce a new fighter in the form of Lewis Tan’s Cole Young. According to c0-screenwriter Greg Russo, the character’s origin was due to a mandate for Warner Bros.
“It was something the studio wanted,” Russo told Inverse about the creation of Cole. “The new protagonist was an idea loaded in prior to my involvement.”
“I inherited a script in 2016, and that had the new protagonist in it,” he continued. “But it had no tie to the mythology of Mortal Kombat. I thought, if we’re going to do it, I want to make sure we do it right and that this character fits into the mythology in an organic way.”
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Tan previously discussed how Benjamin Wallfisch’s score for Mortal Kombat was instrumental in convincing him to sign onto the film, and how Cole Young fits into the world of Mortal Kombat. “He’s a cool character because he’s a grounded entry point into the story,” Tan said. “He’s down on his luck, he’s a father, he’s a husband. But he’s a man who’s kind of missed his opportunity and his time. And I think that’s a really interesting character to play. So that’s where he’s coming from. He’s a martial artist and he’s very capable, but he just never got his shot. And that’s where he starts out. And so he became intertwined with the Mortal Kombat world.”
The official synopsis for Mortal Kombat can be read below:
In “Mortal Kombat,” MMA fighter Cole Young, accustomed to taking a beating for money, is unaware of his heritage — or why Outworld’s Emperor Shang Tsung has sent his best warrior, Sub-Zero, an otherworldly Cryomancer, to hunt Cole down. Fearing for his family’s safety, Cole goes in search of Sonya Blade at the direction of Jax, a Special Forces Major who bears the same strange dragon marking Cole was born with. Soon, he finds himself at the temple of Lord Raiden, an Elder God and the protector of Earthrealm, who grants sanctuary to those who bear the mark. Here, Cole trains with experienced warriors Liu Kang, Kung Lao and rogue mercenary Kano, as he prepares to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe. But will Cole be pushed hard enough to unlock his arcana — the immense power from within his soul — in time to save not only his family, but to stop Outworld once and for all?
Directed by Simon McQuoid and produced by James Wan, Mortal Kombat stars Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson as Kano, Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Mehcad Brooks as Jackson “Jax” Bridges, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han and Sub-Zero, Hiroyuki Sanada as Hanzo Hasashi and Scorpion, Max Huang as Kung Lao, Sisi Stringer as Mileena, Matilda Kimber as Emily Young and Laura Brent as Allison Young. The film arrives in theaters and on HBO Max April 23.
Source: Inverse
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