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Mortal Kombat 3 Confirmed Ahead of Mortal Kombat 2’s Release
Warner Bros. Doubles Down on the Franchise
The Mortal Kombat cinematic universe continues to expand. During a New York Comic-Con 2025 panel, Mortal Kombat 2 screenwriter Jeremy Slater confirmed that Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema have already greenlit Mortal Kombat 3 — even before the sequel has premiered.
“Our friends at New Line and Warner Bros. are so happy with this movie,” Slater said during the panel. “They’re so excited, they’re so convinced there is a giant fanbase waiting for it, that they’ve already hired me to start writing the next instalment.”
The announcement follows months of strong internal buzz and positive test screenings for Mortal Kombat 2, which, as previously reported, is now slated for release on May 15, 2026.
Confidence Backed by Massive Fan Engagement
According to Deadline, studio optimism about Mortal Kombat 3 stems from the early reception for the second movie — including the red band trailer, which racked up over 107 million views within 24 hours of release. Such numbers place Mortal Kombat 2 among Warner Bros.’ most-watched trailers ever, signalling significant anticipation for the follow-up to 2021’s successful reboot.
The first film, led by Lewis Tan, reimagined the franchise with a mix of new faces and returning favourites like Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada) and Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim). The sequel looks to expand that roster even further, bringing in Karl Urban as Johnny Cage and teasing appearances from more game icons yet to be revealed.
A Cross-Media Powerhouse
The renewed cinematic confidence mirrors Mortal Kombat’s continued dominance in gaming. Mortal Kombat 1 has quickly become one of the best-selling fighting games of the generation, reinforcing the franchise’s relevance more than 30 years after its debut.
With Mortal Kombat 2 already in post-production and Mortal Kombat 3 officially in development, Warner Bros. appears committed to turning the franchise into a long-running cinematic saga. Whether the third film will continue the current storyline or explore a new tournament cycle remains unclear, but one thing is certain: Earthrealm’s battles are far from over.
