Casting the New Mortal Kombat Movie's Biggest Characters
Mortal Kombat isn't the most esteemed video game franchise, but its coterie of bloodthirsty fighters is one of the most beloved in gaming history. Sure, the 1995 movie adaptation was a dud, but it was a magnificent dud with a throbbing Jock Jams soundtrack and a provocative cast. (Where have you gone, Bridgette Wilson-Sampras?) Since the 2013 reboot has a chance of reigniting interest in the age-old series, let's cast our dream players in five of the main roles.
Harry Shum Jr. as Liu Kang
Harry Shum Jr. is Glee's most intriguing cast member. He can't sing, but he can dance. He's not a main character, but he's one of the most gorgeous dudes in primetime. His specialized skill set is ideal for Liu Kang, the fast-moving dragon master with a massive, fire-breathing fatality. The fight choreography might be better suited to someone like Taylor Lautner, but Shum is just more appealing than Twilight's crying wolf.
Armie Hammer as Sub Zero and Scorpion
The Social Network's clever Parent Trap clone job of Armie Hammer is so damn fun, I think Mortal Kombat should exhume the trick for the parts of identical fighters Sub Zero and Scorpion. For Sub Zero, Hammer could deliver his signature Winklevoss frostiness, but for Scorpion, I'd prefer he tap into ghastlier, scarier new territory. When he screams, "Get over here!" I want Mark Zuckerberg to blink uncontrollably, scurry back to Harvard, and hide in his dorm room.
Jennifer Lawrence as Sonya Blade
She's toplining a much fancier operation with The Hunger Games these days, but Jennifer Lawrence is just right to play the ponytailed warrioress whose kiss of death is as unnerving as any scene from Winter's Bone. Bridget Wilson-Sampras's coldness worked in Billy Madison, but it's a bit too forced for an actual fighter. There's no disbelieving Jennifer Lawrence's intimidation, and I expect her to tower effortlessly over lesser femme fatales like Mileena and Jade.
Dwayne Johnson as Raiden
He may seem like a more obvious choice for Jax or Kano, but 10 years into Dwayne Johnson's career as a (non-wrestling) thespian, I support all efforts to cast him as a wizened, supernatural elder force. Raiden is an immortal brimming with thundering stoicism; his part shouldn't be handled by an action film amateur. If Johnson's spirited performance in Fast Five is any indication, he can make even the campiest of material more fun than it has any right to be.
Joel McHale as Johnny Cage
Johnny Cage's brawny, washed-up Hollywood persona is meant to provide comic relief next to the chillier grit of the other characters, and who better to fill his boots than the overtly muscular and bastardly Joel McHale? His dryness would update the character nicely, and he'd also get to show off that jacked physique he so cavalierly reveals on Community.
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McHale, Lawrence, and Hammer are inspired choices, I hope it actually comes to fruition.
And while I'm not an ardent Mortal Kombat fan who needs the casting to be just right, can we do whatever possible to keep cast members of Twilight away from this? Just on general principle? Because we don't need any more Abductions.
Will Traci Lords revive her music career for the soundtrack? Fingers crossed!
She is a porn star as well.
Not that I have any problem with these casting choices (I'm a huge Joel McHale and Dwayne Johnson fan), but the people who portray the Mortal Kombat characters should be legitimate fighters-- black belts in Karate, Tai Kwon Do and whatever other awesome things they do. They don't need to be A-Listers, they just have to be awesome.
Joel McHale?
That's awesome! Great casting done on this one!
Joel McHale...good choice
i disagree with pretty much every choice on this list, mainly because i have no idea who any of these people are except for the rock. Also, as much as i like the rock he would be HORRIBLE for Rayden i mean he is the man to me but he doesn't fit raiden's character at all. I personally wouldn't mind the cast from the webseries reprising their roles in the movie (with a few exceptions)
Except for jennifer lawrence...she can stay
That's a big No on Hammer for Sub Zero and Scorpion. I'd rather have the guy who's been playing them in the web series -- Ian Anthony Dale.
Sub Zero and Scorpion are Asian characters, so they need to get someone of Asian descent to play them.
Hammer will be getting plenty of roles through Hollywood. At least give someone of Asian descent the opportunity... if actors of Asian descent can't play Asian characters, then what roles can they play?
WOW! Terrible choices. Just keep the same people from Mortal Kombat Legacy.
Who ever wrote this article is not a fan of Mortal Kombat. First off, Scorpion and Sub-Zero do not look a like. Raiden is spelled wrong by the way. Plus, none of these actors know how to fight. So yeah, stupid choices.
I'm assuming this article is a very, VERY sarcastic jokey thing? Right?
Terrible article MK Legacy is perfect enough as is. All you did was list Hollywood sweethearts sorry but this MK will be rated R and for true fans not tweens gtfo with this list!
Uhhhhhhmmm... Casting of Raiden (& the ninja's) should be ASIAN. I mean- Raiden is an Asian God, dammit. Anything less then that would be completely insulting to the intelligence of the audience (yes, I know this is a Mortal Kombat movie... even still!). The 1995 Mortal Kombat had really epic fight scenes in it combined with a pulse pounding soundtrack, making it a minor classic. With the new movie, do it right or don't bother trying I say!
"lesser femme fatales" ?? Are you serious? You really need to check the stats bitch and not go by your own bias. Mileena is actually way more popular than Sonya. As far as that goes 9 out of 10 MK fanatics will say one of the 3 veiled gals over any other female in the series.
Hey, the '95 movie was no dud, and can that really be said about any cult classic? the sequel in '97 was the real dud, considering how they cut too many characters out, tried to sandwich two chapters of the story into one film, and most horrendously recast Sonya and Rayden(replacing Christopher Lambert, were they nuts!?)
Dwayne Johnson is not a bad choice for Rayden, as long as he grows his hair back and shaves. The problem is you having given us no choices for Kano, Jax, Kitana, or Shang Tsung. In respect to the late and beloved Trevor Goddard, Kano should of course be played by an Australian, does anyone know someone who looks like a young Russell Crowe? LL Cool J would make an excellent Jax, so long as he doesn't mind sporting an army haircut and moustache. Depending on how she has aged since Charlie's Angels, Lucy Liu might be considered for Kitana/Mileena, the aforementioned film proved she can do action. And on that note(although Cary Tagawa would be extremely hard to upstage), with a bit of aging in makeup, Jet Li may be the best choice for playing Shang Tsung, and then if there is a sequel, the makeup will not be necessary. Let's think these over.
Dwayne Johnson is a terrible choice because he do not know martial-arts. LL Cool J doesn't fit as Jax. And Lucy Fucking Liu? Hell no.
They already have their cast for the new movie. Thank God its not any of these people listed.
Problem is KITANA AND MILEENA AREN'T ASIAN. God you people are dumb fucks. I'm out of here.
The reboot doesn't have to be like the original movies, and the actors from MK legacy can't act worth a damn... I like McHale for Johnny Cage and Jennifer Lawrence for Sonya Blade. And if anyone who doesn't know who any of the above people are then they have been living under a rock
Wow, you really do not know what your talking about. They did a good job for short videos. They would be better choices instead of these people. Joel McHale and Jennifer Lawrence does not know martial arts so they are bad choices. The people in Mortal Kombat Legacy do. And the reboot wont be nothing like the other movie, it will be R-rated.
Just because people don't know who these actors are doesn't mean they've been living under a rock...it just means that they don't watch teenage girlie movies like "glee" and "twilight" because they have better things to do with their time. Or, like i said, they aren't teenage girls. So what's your excuse?
yeah thing is most of the actors in the first mortal kombat movie didn't know martial arts.
this movie is gonna be bad because of the characters!
The only confirmed actor is Ian Anthony Dale who will be playing Scorpion. 🙂
Michael jai white is perfect for jax since he is a real fighter
WOW!! Y do ppl allways gota fuck shit up dammmmm i bet the movies is gona be wak if u cant even get the actors right u got 1 person playing as sub-zero and scorpion?!!! Wtf!!! I could make a better back yard movie then what this is gona be with 1 actor playing all caracters
these are some of the worst!!!!!! possible characters i've ever seen, None of these people have any martial arts talent as far as i know (an don't say the rock does wrestling please)have you even thought this through before posting it!! Armie hammer as sub zero and scorpion???? i lost interest as soon as i saw that!!, mortal kombat is a fight game!...fighting gaaaaame!! there are plenty of people with more than good martial arts skills, that can also act that should be playing these characters, the only thing i would say, is bring back Lambert, but that's as far as i'd go. Dwayne johnson as RAIDEN....RAIDEN?????
I think they should put someone else for raiden
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