The cast and filmmakers of the upcoming feature-length animated film Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms assembled for a panel at Saturday’s Comic-Con@Home where the filmmakers explained why Liu Kang is “the heart and engine” of this particular Mortal Kombat movie.
The sequel picks up shortly after the finale of Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion’s Revenge. According to the movie’s official synopsis, “our team of heroes are besieged by the enemy forces of Shao Kahn – forcing Raiden and his group of warriors into a deal to compete in a final Mortal Kombat that will determine the fate of the realms. Now our heroes must travel to Outworld in order to defend Earthrealm and, simultaneously, Scorpion must find the ancient Kamidogu before it’s used to resurrect the One Being – which would mean certain destruction of all things in the universe. Time is short and the stakes are high in this action-packed continuation of the Mortal Kombat journey.”
But while Raiden and Scorpion are important figures in the movie, the filmmakers said Liu Kang (voiced by Jordan Rodrigues) is “the key” to Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms.
“To me, the heart of it is Liu Kang and so him coming to the forefront in this film I felt was very important,” producer Rick Morales explained. “Starting the movie with him and exploring his relationship with Raiden I really felt that was the key.”
Screenwriter Jeremy Adams echoed that sentiment, explaining how “we give Liu Kang his due” in the sequel.
“How do we explain to the audience that Mortal Kombat is more than just punching and kicking? It’s like this mythology and we wanted a chance to really condense and use as much as we could in this two-story book chapters,” Adams said, before citing fan discontent over Liu Kang getting whooped by Goro at the end of Scorpion’s Revenge.
“Thank goodness this movie is coming out so Twitter can get off my back for a minute. People are so angry. They’re like, ‘What did you do to Liu Kang?!’ And I’m like, no, we literally said at the end your job is not to beat Goro. You’re going to have a bigger destiny. So that became the heart and engine of the second movie and I think is so important because we give Liu Kang his due.”
The panelists also included Mortal Kombat game co-creator Ed Boon (NetherRealm Studios), who serves as the film’s Creative Consultant. Boon was asked whether NetherRealm had any rules about which Mortal Kombat characters could be killed off in the animated movies.
“Are there any rules? Nope,” Boon said, adding, “I think if I were to complain about killing a Mortal Kombat character I’d be the biggest hypocrite in the world. We’ve killed our characters multiple times. The first movie killed Scorpion, so to speak, and look! He’s back! So if it works in the story we do it. If it’s just gratuitous then we’ll push back a little bit.”
But actor Joel McHale, who voices Johnny Cage in the movie, quipped, “Whoever Ed finds annoying is going to die.”
Directed by Ethan Spaulding, Mortal Kombat Legends: Battle of the Realms is produced by Warner Bros. Animation in coordination with NetherRealm Studios and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. The film arrives from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra HD Combo Pack on August 31.