Mortal Kombat 2 writer Jeremy Slater has promised that they are listening to fan feedback to the original film, namely regarding the movie’s protagonist – however, the film cannot abandon Cole’s hero story. Cole Young is the protagonist of the 2021 Mortal Kombat film series reboot and has been quite a divisive character among series fans. Cole is new and original to the series, the heroic human figure amongst the paranormal cast of classic Mortal Kombat fighters, ninjas, and gods of thunder. Some have declared the character boring and unnecessary with little personality. As such, and with the creative team taking on feedback to the film seriously, Cole could be expected to take a back seat, but the writers shouldn’t allow this to happen.
Cole Young is set to return alongside Mortal Kombat 2′s Earthrealm Champion Roster, though not much is known whether he will be the central focus of the the sequel. Cole was introduced in the first film as a washed-up MMA fighter. He is an orphan with the mystery of his heritage hanging over him, bearing an unusual dragon tattoo thought to be a birthmark. He meets Jax Briggs who explains to him the tattoo is a sign that he is chosen to fight. Cole is then introduced to series favorites Sonya Blade, Liu Kang, the Thunder God Raiden – though notably missing from the cast is Johnny Cage, who may appear in Mortal Kombat 2 . Cole follows a fairly generic hero arc, training to unlock his ‘Arcana’, uncovering the secrets of his lineage (A decendant of Scorpion), and overcoming Shang Tsung and Sub-Zero. By the end of the film Cole leaves for LA to pursue martial arts career in Hollywood.
Part of the problem with Cole is that he is very similar to Johnny Cage, who is not only a human martial arts fighter but also a Hollywood actor in turn. Cage has always been a charming and charismatic character, whose irreverent quipping juxtaposes the self-seriousness of his fellow Mortal Kombat characters. While a Mortal Kombat Jonnhy Cage spinoff has great potential, Cole is ultimately not Johnny Cage. Rather, Cole’s decidedly stoic generic good guy characterization has led many fans to find him boring. The creative team behind Mortal Kombat 2 have promised to listen to the feedback of the first film, vowing to make a sequel that “tops the original in every way.” However, despite being divisive, abandoning Cole as the central protagonist, radically altering his character or even making him more like Johnny Cage would not only be harsh on the character but the actor too.
With an original character, the writers are able to take Cole in interesting directions that the series has not seen before. With his origin story out of the way, Mortal Kombat 2 can explore the Cole and Scorpion’s link. Cole could even be trained by Scorpion, allowing the two to develop their relationship, improving his fighting skillset and grappling with his identity as a descendant of the undead ninja warrior who has always remained an anti-heroic figure. By building upon this plotline, the writers are able to keep Cole the hero while exploring Mortal Kombat lore and giving him interesting ancestral motivations.
Mortal Kombat 2‘s commitment to listening to fan feedback is commendable and can make the sequel more in line with the games. Improvements, such as the promised inclusion of Scorpion’s fatality and exploring Sonya Blade’s character in greater depth, are much needed changes. However, radically altering their new protagonist undermines his development in the first film and ignores the achievements of Lewis Tan in the role of Cole.
