Mortal Kombat III Confirmed Before Part 2 Release In 2026

• Mortal Kombat III is confirmed by cast, crew, and screenwriter Jeremy Slater at NYCC.
• New featurette teases large-scale battles and fan-favorite returns.
• Release moved to May 2026, aiming for blockbuster summer dominance.

The Mortal Kombat II cast and crew just announced at the New York Comic Con (NYCC) that Mortal Kombat III is indeed in development. However, the release of Mortal Kombat II has been pushed back to May 2026 from October 2025.

The sequel Mortal Kombat II is led by Adeline Rudolph (Kitana) and Tati Gabrielle (Jade), with Martyn Ford appearing as Shao Kahn. The announcement of a third film demonstrates Warner Bros.' belief in the franchise's endurance and fan momentum.

What Does This Mean for the Mortal Kombat Franchise?

The NYCC visit indicated that Mortal Kombat is growing into a broader, integrated, cinematic universe. The creative team's enthusiasm reflects not only the fanbase's passion and excitement but also a greater commitment to storytelling and character development.

The cast, together with screenwriter Jeremy Slater, also provided a behind-the-scenes featurette depicting new large-scale battle scenes, visual designs, and cast interviews.

The promotional materials by the Studio state that the scenes were shot specifically keeping the IMAX resolution in mind. Fan favourites are also set to return in the second installment of the franchise, as seen in the featurette, which also shows the iconic Baraka. 

Jeremy Slater even discussed how studios helped him start off developing the third installment early. "Our friends at New Line and Warner Bros. are so happy with this movie," said the Mortal Kombat screenwriter.

"They are so excited, they are so convinced that there is a giant fanbase waiting for it, they've already hired me to start writing the next installment," he added further. This proves that the Mortal Kombat brand's strength is phenomenal, promising fans that the series is here to stay for a lifetime.

Stronger Female Leads

Mortal Kombat II intends to build on this vision of a bigger fanbase and a universe. It wishes to redefine the role of its female characters in its upcoming movie and sequel. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, screenwriter Simon McQuoid and Adeline Rudolph (Jade) discussed how the sequel will enhance the narrative creation while highlighting Kitana and Jade.

Rudolph said, "When I first read the script, it felt very much like the intertwining of two worlds. You have Earthrealm, and then you have Edenia and Outworld." 

"Kitana's storyline feels very much interwoven into Johnny Cage's story, and they go in and out of each other throughout the movie," she added further. 

McQuoid said that the sequel purposely emphasises the film's female protagonists, making Kitana and Jade perfectly suited for expansion. "There are other great female characters, but for the second film, they seemed logical," he adds. 

A Ticking Box Office Bomb

The shifting of the release date of Mortal Kombat II indicates a strategic move for a prime summer launch. This could potentially lead to great box office numbers. "We’ve created a massive summer blockbuster. We should be proud of the fact that Mortal Kombat, as the movie and the franchise, is just gonna kick off summer next year. Yes, we have to wait, but it’s gonna feel massive. That’s the reason," said McQuoid at the NYCC.

According to ComicBook.com, the first Mortal Kombat movie (2021) earned $84.4 million USD globally on a $55M USD budget. It was one of HBO Max's most-streamed day-and-date releases of the year. With such a fantastic performance from last time, Warner Bros. is betting on greater theatre-first this time around.

Mortal Kombat’s Cross-Media Synergy

The franchise is equally popular in terms of games, with Mortal Kombat 1 (2023) selling over 6.2M copies globally. On the other hand, Mortal Kombat 11, its predecessor, sold over 15M. This makes Mortal Kombat one of the best-selling fighting games of all time. 

Alongside other titles such as The Last of Us and Fallout, Mortal Kombat shows that games can also expand into movies and media, creating a trans-mediated universe, driving franchise revenue and popularity. 

As Mortal Kombat II approaches its 2026 release date, the early announcement of Part III assures fans that they will have much more to look forward to.