First Mortal Kombat movie photos: Sub-Zero, Jax, Sonya, and Liu Kang revealed

The years-in-the-making Mortal Kombat movie reboot is almost here. On Friday, Warner Bros. revealed the first images of director Simon McQuoid’s upcoming film, which is slated to hit movie theaters and HBO Max in April. It’s our first look at iconic Mortal Kombat characters Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Jax, Sonya, and Kano, and the debut of newcomer Cole Young. (No, not Kole Young.)

According to an official story synopsis from Warner Bros., Cole is a mixed martial arts fighter who bears a mysterious birthmark — one in the shape of the Mortal Kombat dragon logo. Cole is also the target of Sub-Zero, the ninja cryomancer sent from Outworld to Earthrealm by Shang Tsung to — one has to assume — remove the MMA fighter’s spinal column. Exactly why Shang Tsung wants Cole fatalitied is unclear.

Here’s Cole, as portrayed by Lewis Tan (Wu Assassins), and Sub-Zero, played by Joe Taslim (The Raid):

Fearing for his family’s safety, Warner Bros. Pictures says, “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.” Here’s Jax and Sonya, played by Mehcad Brooks and Jessica McNamee, respectively, in the new Mortal Kombat movie.

Cole will find refuge under Lord Raiden, the thunder god protector of Earthrealm. According to Warner Bros., Raiden grants sanctuary to warriors who bear the dragon mark seen on Cole, Jax, and others. That includes Liu Kang, Kung Lao, and Kano, who are played by Ludi Lin, Max Huang, and Josh Lawson, respectively. They’ll train together as they “[prepare] to stand with Earth’s greatest champions against the enemies of Outworld in a high stakes battle for the universe.”

One has to assume a Kano heel turn at some point, given everything we know about Kano.

According to a preview from Entertainment Weekly, the Mortal Kombat movie will begin in feudal Japan, with a battle between Sub-Zero/Bi-Han and Scorpion/Hanzo Hasashi, before they acquired their arcana-powered supernatural abilities. Things will invariably go badly for the rival ninja warriors from there.

McQuoid and screenwriter Greg Russo have indicated that the new Mortal Kombat will not be a PG-13 affair. Instead, expect violent R-rated action and fatalities on film when the movie hits theaters and streams on HBO Max on April 16.