With the arrival of the tournament in Mortal Kombat: Legacy Series 2, one of the biggest new additions to the live-action adaptation will be Shaolin fighting monk and traditional series icon: Liu Kang!
The responsibility of fighting for the fate of the world will rest on the shoulders of Brian Tee (The Wolverine, Crash) -- a name revealed to us earlier this month in a major casting announcement by Warner Brothers [full story]. Tee is promising big things for his take on the famed role, and sent us a red carpet interview with Asians On Film where he discusses exactly that!
Revealed to us in a recent photo shared by the director (Kevin Tancharoen), we've known to expect something different from this version of Liu Kang. Changes to the familiar icons of the games have been a staple of Tancharoen's work -- but something that won't change is Liu Kang's opposition to arch-nemesis Shang Tsung!
Tee (@brian_tee) tweeted about his on-screen encounter with Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa -- the Shang Tsung actor who is returning to the role he made famous in the 1995 feature film!
Amazing scene with @chtagawa today!!! Fans will love to see THE #ShangTsung in #mortalkombatlegacy2 an honor and a pleasure!
— Brian Tee (@brian_tee) December 14, 2012
The rivalry between Liu Kang and Shang Tsung has been a defining element throughout the history of the games. Liu Kang's victory in the tournament of the first game was a seminal moment and driving inspiration for the '95 movie. Ten years later Tsung succeeded in murdering his nemesis, but their battles would transcend death (and time) with the infamous invention of Zombie Liu Kang, before a series reboot in 2011.
The exact roles and relationships that will play out in the Legacy version of the tournament remain to be seen. As will the appearance of certain characters. Tancharoen (@KTANCH) sent out our first look at Tagawa back in the role, sporting what may or may not be a bald look for the character.
For casting information and regular updates on the series check out our Legacy Series 2 Kompendium. Discuss all the news and rumors on the Media & Merchandise forum and receive additional updates via @MK_Online.