Kano's Death Prevents Mortal Kombat 2 From Adapting Major Game Stories

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The live-action Mortal Kombat reboot may have done a fine job in adapting the video game property for the silver screen, but by killing Kano, Mortal Kombat 2 has been robbed of several iconic franchise stories. Upon release, Mortal Kombat 2021 was widely praised and quickly earned a green light for a sequel. However, not every decision made by the film was ideal for the long-term success of the film series.

Mortal Kombat introduced a new lead character in Cole Young, whose inclusion was met with a mixed reception. Fighters who participated in the titular tournament weren't necessarily the best combatants Earth could offer either. Instead, they were chosen by a dragon's mark, which allowed them to travel between realms and unlock updated versions of their traditional video game powers. What didn't change between the games and the film was the mortality rate, and, perhaps owed in part to that loyal depiction of the franchise's violence, Mortal Kombat set records for HBO Max. Unfortunately, several key character deaths could soon lead to a greater divide between the established video game lore and what's depicted in the new series of films.

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Thanks to the character's role in many quintessential Mortal Kombat plot threads, Kano's death at the hands of Sonya Blade will have the greatest impact on the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2 since those moments now must be abandoned or initiated by someone else entirely. In the video games, Kano helped facilitate the invasion of Earthrealm by Shao Kahn's Outworld forces. While magic was used to allow Shao Kahn to invade, the weapons supplied by Kano's Black Dragon organization put even the weakest of the Outworld