As one of the first game's iconic fighters Johnny Cage had an integral role in the 1995 big screen adaptation, but don't look for him in the latgest Mortal Kombat feature film. The klassic kombatant has been conspicuous by absence, and producer Todd Garner has explained why. Read on:

CBR reports that the brash and arrogant moviestar character was sidelined to avoid a clash with similar personality traits exhibited by the film's version of Kano. Todd Garner explained the thinking during a round table.interview.

The reason we held back on Johnny Cage is because he's a very egotistical guy, he's a scoundrel, he's funny, he's bigger-than-life...and so is Kano. So are we going to have two guys competing and trying to [be funnier or more egotistical] or do you hold Johnny Cage because, God willing, we're able to do another one?

The two characters successfully coinhabited the big screen in the much-loved 1995 feature film, which featured Kano in his role as a primary antagonist. As seen in the red band trailer and explained in the director's breakdown, Kano will provide comic relief, apparently spending more time with the heroes of Earthrealm.

Garner also further elaborated on previous statements about the removal of Rain from the script.

Rain and Reptile? They both cloak and you don't want two cloaking guys; first of all, it's expensive and, second, they do the same thing. You unwind it that way, with people we can see later. There are also characters with such complicated backstories with other characters, you want to give them more service.

Rain is an Edenian demi-god best known for his power to control water. The character recently made his DLC return in Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate. The character does not traditionally share Reptile's ability to "cloak" himself from sight, but has been known to teleport through water puddles -- an effects intensive concept.

Mortal Kombat will be officially released theatrically on April 16th with same day streaming on HBO Max. Download the MKO App via App Store and Google Play to subscribe to the calendar countdown! Find and discuss more stories in the Media & Merchandise forum!

Irregular cult-favourite Kabal is about to feature in the Mortal Kombat movie, and according to series co-creator John Tobias -- he's an underrated character ready to be explored. Tobias revealed more about Kabal's backstory, including his original role in Mortal Kombat: Special Forces. Read on for details:

Kabal has recently been included in a promotional banner and TV Spot for the movie. Asked about his creation's impending mainstream exposure; John Tobias shared his thoughts via Twitter, delving into the character's iconic history, and some of the lost inspirations that went into informing the mystery man behind the mask.

He confirmed intentions for Kabal to become a crime-fighting vigilante as described in his Mortal Kombat 3 arcade ending [pictured above]. The about-face for the former Black Dragon clansman was meant to reflect a deeper moral ambiguity that existed within the character before the events of his MK3 introduction.

According to Tobias, this was originally intended to be explored in the action-adventure prequel Mortal Kombat: Special Forces. He explained: "In the old MKSF story (which takes place before MK1-3) Kabal wanted out of the Black Dragon and worked as an informant for Sonya and Jax’s Special Forces unit."

Insert Coin director, and former Midway Games developer, Josh Tsui released a deleted scene from the game that shows Kabal in a tense stand-off with Black Dragon leader Kano [embedded below]. The sequence reveals both the ambition of the game's original story, and some of Kabal's moral conflict.

Watch: Kano & Kabal MKSF Deleted Scene | Special Forces Intro Sequence

As John Tobias explained in an interview with MKO Online, the ill fated 2000 spin-off "... needed a lot more work, and pushing its release back would've jeopardized our ability to hit the sweet spot for a next gen development deal. That created a difficult situation."

The result was a heavily stripped back version released exclusively to the PlayStation. Kabal was conspicuous by absence, leading some to speculate an additional character, seen escaping maximum security with the other stage bosses in the opening FMV, could be Kabal. The goateed character can be seen in the scene above.

Tobias also resminisced about the fun of seeing Kabal's story adapted in the animated series, and expressed confidence in the upcoming feature film and their interpretation of the character.

I see that Kabal is in the new MK film. I know that the makers are big on authenticity and feel that the characters are one of the series’ most important elements... will be exciting to see how they layer in a complex character like Kabal... (8/9)

— John Tobias (@therealsaibot) March 17, 2021

Film previews show Kabal on the side of Shang Tsung and his Outworld loyal warriors, and fighting Liu Kang during the red band trailer. Kabal donned his mask after suffering brutal injuries at the hands of Shao Kahn's Outworld extermination squads, but as Tobias generously notes, "We did not detail the attack, we only implied that it was gruesome enough to leave him disfigured".

We also never describe how Kabal survived or where he got the respirator that keeps him alive. In part because we had limited places to tell story in the old arcade games, but also because it gave him a mysterious quality, which I felt added much more to his character... (6/9)

— John Tobias (@therealsaibot) March 17, 2021

The new Mortal Kombat movie is officially released theatrically on April 16th, with same day streaming on HBO Max in the United States. Download the MKO App via App Store or Google Play to join the calendar countdown. Find and more stories by joining the Kommunity Forums!

Actor Lewis Tan has auctioned a limited print capturing a moment from his final day of filming Mortal Kombat in Adelaide, South Australia. The black & white image has been sold to raise funds for the AAPI Community fund and awareness for violence and discrimination against Asians in America.

The photographic print is titled "Baptism By Fire" and shows Lewis Tan entering the South Indian Ocean in the dark of midnight. The dramatic collectible has raised $543.85 on Rarible. The image can be seen below with Tan's own explanation.

This exclusive film print was taken in the South Indian Ocean, at midnight, on the day I finished filming "Mortal Kombat" in Adelaide, Australia. This definitive moment represents a new era, not only as a milestone for myself as an actor but for POC in cinema. The lead role in this film represents 20 years of hard work, struggle, rejection, pain and sacrifice. The fights in this film were performed by me, something of extreme rarity in this business, it was physically exhausting to say the least, I barely slept for months and I was in pain the entire time, I remember when I wrapped collapsing on the floor in tears. I went into the ocean that night to clean off the blood and sweat, to meditate and soak in the moment. The stars were out that night, I closed my eyes and lifted up my hands, grateful to the universe, thinking about all the overlooked talented kids out there that have never been given a chance, one day they can look and use this film as an example. You can accomplish anything, regardless of your circumstance or the color of your skin. A baptism of fire represents a painful new experience, a transition, or a soldiers first experience in battle. This was my first, and one of the first in history but it won't be the last. I will gladly take the battle wounds to help break down the walls that keep us from our collective and unlimited potential. This was taken on Fuji 35mm film, one of one.

Tan shared the auction via micro-blogging service Twitter on March 14th with the hashtag #StopAsianHate. He also retweeted a link to the AAPI Community Fund: a crowdfunding initiative designed to raise money for organizations working to address issues relating to an increase in violence and discrimination against Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders.

The social media topic has since exploded in the days following shootings in Georgia, where Asian businesses were targetted resulting in multiple deaths. State Representative Bee Nguyen expressed sentiments of concern, "We’re in a place where we’ve seen an increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans since the pandemic started."

The subject matter of Mortal Kombat doesn't lend itself well to matters concerning serious real world violence, but its iconic Asian characters, and participation in paying homage to Eastern mythology, provides an intuitive platform for diverse representation and discussion.

After the tragedy in Georgia; Lewis Tan shared an empathic story of his own lived experience, and a desire to see greater social change and an end to violence.

I have been dealing with violent racism my whole life, my father before me, it’s actually the reason why we started martial arts. This is nothing new unfortunately, we must be united in doing whatever we can to create change. I am angry too, but it starts with loving each other.

— Lewis Tan (@TheLewisTan) March 18, 2021

Max Huang, who plays Chinese Shaolin fighter Kung Lao in the upcoming movie, added his voice to earlier discussions, citing Mortal Kombat while sharing his own message of solidarity, and the movie's message of fighting for humanity.

To the Asian community,
To any community with people of color,
To the world,
It is not our right to stand for and represent our culture,
It is our duty to do so.
With Mortal Kombat, we lead by example. Together we fight for humanity, diversity, equality. We are the game changer.

— Max Huang (@themaxhuang) March 12, 2021

Mortal Kombat will be officially released theatrically on April 16th, with same day streaming on HBO Max available in the United States. The movie stars Lewis Tan as new creation Cole Young, with Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion, Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero, and Chin Han as Shang Tsung.

We're just one month away from the official release of Mortal Kombat! The 2021 cinematic reboot is coming soon to theatres where possible -- and a new poster featuring the cast is hyping the release. Take a look:

Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim) and Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada) loom large as two of the series' biggest icons, with new character for the movie Cole Young (Lewis Tan) getting pride of place slightly larger than the rest of the cast.

We've been seeing more from the movie as its arrival draws nearer. Along with the record setting red band trailer there've been four new TV spots, a dramatic banner advertisement, and character posters aplenty!

The theatrical release will be buoyed by reports of Los Angeles theatres returning to restricted trade, but only regions who haven't been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are expected to be "only in cinemas". Producer Todd Garner addressed concerns over European screenings earlier this month, noting: "... [WB] are aware of the problem and looking for a solution."

[Related Article: Producer Todd Garner Goes Deep Into Making Mortal Kombat]

Mortal Kombat is officially released theatrically on April 16th, with same day streaming on HBO Max available in the United States. Download the MKO App via App Store or Google Play to join the calendar countdown and discuss more stories on the Media & Merchandise forum!

The Mortal Kombat hype train continues with four new TV spots showcasing the coming battles between good and evil. Scenes from the red band trailer play out in rapid succession with new previews of characters and action from the coming attraction! Watch it all right here:

The four TV spots have been cut together and posted to YouTube [embedded above], beginning with the voice of Ludi Lin as Liu Kang declaring "Mortal Kombat has begun." A fitting start to a flurry of fast cut fighting and action revisiting scenes featuring Scorpion, Sub-Zero and more from the ensemble cast!

New footage shows Cole Young (Lewis Tan) in a frozen cage-like environment squaring off with blade and baton weapons that extend over his forearms. He appears again in more footage opposite a leaping Goro, wearing the same unusually layered torso armor and weapons.

The trailer shows more of Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) and her battles with Kano (Josh Lawson), Mileena (Sisi Stringer), and a camouflaged Reptile. Mileena also leads an unidentified bad guy speculated to be Reiko (Nathan Jones), and Kabal (Daniel Nelson).

Kabal was recently featured in a promotional banner on the side of Shang Tsung and other antagonists from the film. Originally introduced in Mortal Kombat 3, the ex-Black Dragon warrior wore a mask as part of ventilators that kept him alive after injuries sustained during Shao Kahn's invasion of Earthrealm. A morally flexible mercenary, Kabal has never held allegiance to Outworld in the games.

Mortal Kombat is coming soon in available cinemas and streaming to HBO Max. Download the MKO App via App Store or Google Play to subscribe to the April 16th calendar event and share your thoughts on this story with a like and comment below! Find & discuss more stories on the Media & Merchandise forum!