Mortal Kombat 3 Writer Drops First Details on the Video Game Sequel Fans Have Been Waiting For

written by Craig Ellison

May 15, 2026 4:14 pm

Mortal Kombat 3 Writer Drops First Details on the Video Game Sequel Fans Have Been Waiting For — Image credit: Legion-Media

Mortal Kombat 3 brings the video game franchise’s most iconic moments to the big screen, setting up a ferocious, action-packed sequel.

So, Mortal Kombat II has officially delivered what fans have been dying for: a bigger, bloodier, and surprisingly better sequel. Both critics and moviegoers are into it—critics gave it a decent 65% on Rotten Tomatoes, mostly praising the ludicrous violence and fan service, and audiences are way more enthusiastic, slapping it with an 89% approval rating. And if you care about money (the studios sure do), the sequel crushed its opening weekend with $40 million in the U.S. alone, and it’s already pulled in $63 million globally, which is a franchise record.

The Spoiler-y Setup

If you stuck around for Mortal Kombat II’s ending, you already know they aren’t done yet. The final stretch sees Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Kitana, and a gang of other surviving fighters teaming up. Their new agenda? Try to bring back their friends who didn’t make it through the tournament, now that they’ve snagged Quan Chi as their creepy necromancer-in-residence. This more-or-less shouts, 'Hey, there’s definitely room for Mortal Kombat III.'

Is Mortal Kombat III Actually Happening?

Here’s the thing: Mortal Kombat III hasn’t officially been greenlit yet. That hasn’t stopped Jeremy Slater—the writer—from rolling up his sleeves and hammering out a script. Slater is apparently deep-diving into fan reactions (his words, not mine: he’s 'spending an unhealthy amount of time' on TikTok, Reddit, and, yeah, any corner of the internet where people are ranting about the movie).

"They haven’t greenlit it yet, but hopefully that comes soon. I have to finish the script first. I am really happy with where the script is going. I felt like we were able to learn from the mistakes and lessons of MK I to make II a much better movie. I want to do the same with II and use that to make III a much better movie. Even now, I am spending an unhealthy amount of time looking at fan feedback to II and watching people’s TikTok videos and going on their Reddit threads and seeing their social media posts for what they love and what they didn’t. Again, the goal is to always be evolving and learning and saying, 'Okay, this is what’s working. This is what they are really responding to.' People really liked that blue portal fight between Liu Kang and Kung Lao. How do we deliver more of those moments going into III?"

What’s In—and Not In—the MKIII Script

Don’t expect Mortal Kombat III to just rehash a recipe from the games. Slater says he’s mixing and matching bits and pieces from all over the Mortal Kombat universe instead of just following the games beat-for-beat (think Marvel’s approach, borrowing and remixing famous storylines).

"I can’t really tease what the story is specifically beyond the teases that are baked into the end of part II. What I can tell you is this movie is similar in a sense that this movie does not directly adapt any of the stories from the game. It draws inspiration from a lot of different source materials and places, similar to how Marvel does its version of a famous story. Our version of the tournament was slightly different than the version from the games... we will probably never be doing direct one-to-one adaptations of the storylines from the game. But I think we are certainly cherry-picking some of the best moments, and iconic moments, and trying to build new stories around that."

So, bottom line: you’ll get some iconic Mortal Kombat moments, but don’t hold your breath for a 100% faithful adaptation of your favorite game arc.

Who’s Coming Back, and Who Gets the Spotlight?

Slater is being vague about the Mortal Kombat III lineup, but he is clear about one thing—characters people actually liked in the sequel will be back and will have more to do. Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage was a highlight, and Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) apparently got the best story this time and will probably stick around. But with so many fighters in the MK universe, picking whom to focus on in the next movie is a juggling act. The goal: everyone gets a memorable moment, whether or not they have a full character arc.

"Always trying to make sure everyone gets their own moment in the sun, even if they don’t have a full character arc. Everyone is someone’s favorite character, so you want to make sure they are all getting cool fights, and cool fatalities, and fun moments in the spotlight. That’s the guiding philosophy going forward."

What Comes Next?

Mortal Kombat II was made for around $80 million, and it’s about to pass that at the worldwide box office—so barring any huge studio disaster, a third movie is looking pretty likely.
The sequel is facing serious summer competition, so the drop-off could be steep, but it’s already made the case it can hold its own.
No word yet on when the studio will confirm a green light, but the script is in the works and Slater is listening (some might say obsessing) to what fans want.

In short, Mortal Kombat III hasn’t been officially announced, but there’s a ton of momentum, the franchise is finally hitting its stride at the box office, and the creative team is unusually open to fan input. If you’re a fan, keep your hopes up—this series still has plenty of fight left in it.