Joel Edgerton is reportedly being eyed for the upcoming live-action Mortal Kombat reboot. Though the film itself has still yet to receive an official greenlight, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are already looking to build its cast, starting with one of Mortal Kombat’s most iconic villains.
One of the original characters in the first Mortal Kombat game back in 1992, Kano is a deadly, one-eyed criminal who ends up going on the run to evade authorities - specifically Jax Briggs and Sonya Blade, who has a personal vendetta against Kano. Aside from the central Mortal Kombat games, Kano was also included in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, as well as the live-action film adaptation from director Paul W.S. Anderson. Now, it looks as though he’ll be showing up in the upcoming reboot which already has Aquaman director James Wan on board as producer.
Though it’s yet to be confirmed, Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema are reportedly eying Edgerton to play Kano in the Mortal Kombat reboot, according to The Hashtag Show. Best known for his roles in Warrior, Zero Dark Thirty, and The Great Gatsby, Edgerton also broke into directing with 2015’s The Gift and last year’s Boy Erased. As of now, no other actors, aside from Edgerton, have been announced for consideration.
Last June, some of the reboot’s character details were allegedly released, revealing who might end up being featured in the film. This list included Kano, Sonya Blade, Lord Raiden, Mileena, Liu Kang, and Shang Tsung, among others, though one of the film’s producers, Todd Garner, explained that the character breakdown was not official. That said, it’s likely that the film will still include the majority of key characters from the original game and its sequels.
There’s no telling what direction the reboot will ultimately take, and the reported inclusion of Kano doesn’t entirely suggest that the reboot will borrow from the original game - or even the original film. That said, if Edgerton’s casting does end up getting confirmed, then it certainly hints at the sort of tone the reboot might be going for, seeing as Edgerton tends to gravitate towards a certain caliber of films. Also, the reboot will be coming out in an era that is a far cry from creative landscape in the ’90s, so fans can probably expect a take on Mortal Kombat that’s a bit more grounded than its campy predecessor. Whether that ultimately lives up to the hype remains to be seen.
More: 25 Weird Things That Happened Between Mortal Kombat 1 And 2
Source: The Hashtag Show
