Scorpion has never looked better than he does inMortal Kombat 2, but the character’s return may run into a similar problem as the first movie.Mortal Kombat 2’s storyis expected to follow from where the first left off, with Earthrealm’s champions seeking out more fighters to compete in the titular tournament. Thefirst looks atMortal Kombat 2showcase some of the characters that are set to face off with one another, be it Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage or Adeline Rudolph’s Kitana.
Another character highlighted is Hiroyuki Sanada’s Scorpion, aka Hanzo Hasashi. Despite Hanzo seemingly passing on in 2021’s movie,dead characters are expected to return inMortal Kombat 2, including the likes of Kano. Where Scorpion is concerned, some details about his role in the upcoming sequel have been provided alongside the first image of his character. Despite Scorpion looking better than ever before, I worry that a characterization issue from the first movie will resurface inMortal Kombat 2.
Scorpion Might Not Have Too Big Of A Role In Mortal Kombat 2
According To The Film’s Creative Team
In the coverage fromEntertainment Weeklythat offered the first look atMortal Kombat 2,director Simon McQuoid and franchise creator Ed Boon spoke about what to expect from the upcoming sequel. One element that was confirmed regarding Scorpion is that his role may not be as central to the narrative as it was in 2021’sMortal Kombat, but that his brief appearances still have consequences. Concerning the latter part,Boon stated:“He’s [Scorpion] certainly making appearances that are significant and necessary for the progress of other storylines…”
However, in terms of Scorpion’s wider role, Boon went on to clarify that he is not part of the central team of the film. His role seems to be more of a wildcard, akin to how he was utilized in the first movie. This is all but confirmed by Boon, who insists"He plays a different role. He’s not part of the ‘Super Friends’ trying to defeat Shao Kahn…“Regardless, Boon at least confirms that Scorpion’s appearance inMortal Kombat 2is key and essential to the movie at different points.
Sidelining Scorpion Again In Mortal Kombat 2 Would Be A Huge Mistake
The First Movie Used Scorpion To Bookend The Story
While this sounds cool and the visual design of Scorpion inMortal Kombat 2is as strong as ever, I am worried that the film will sideline him again as its predecessor did. Scorpion is one of the bestMortal Kombatfighters and could easily be folded into the story as a main character, but the first movie was content to utilize him as a bookend. Although his appearances at the beginning and end of 2021’sMortal Kombatwere consequential, important, and exciting, it was still a shame to see him used so sparingly.
After Boon’s comments aboutMortal Kombat 2, it seems as though Scorpion will suffer a similar fate in the 2025 movie. If this is the case, I am certain it would be a mistake. I admit that theMortal Kombatfranchise needs to keep a tight focus narratively rather than lose itself in the endless roster of characters the games have, but many would agree that Scorpion should be one of the characters who has a central role. Instead,Mortal Kombat 2is seemingly using the character as its predecessor did, which may prove to be a mistake.
