Mortal Kombat (2021) rebooted the Mortal Kombat movie franchise, but it failed Raiden, one of Mortal Kombat's most crucial characters. Despite not featuring a tournament, Mortal Kombat (2021) was an origin story that saw the famous roster of Earthrealm champions meeting each other for the first time. Audiences were introduced to new versions of established Mortal Kombat characters like Raiden and Liu Kang, yet the focus was mainly on the original character Cole Young.
The Mortal Kombat movie reboot borrowed a lot from the Mortal Kombat (1995), as the latter was based on the original Mortal Kombat game. Still, Raiden is supposed to be a major Mortal Kombat character.
Mortal Kombat (2021) Didn't Give Raiden Much To Do
Raiden can have many different roles in a Mortal Kombat story, which is why Raiden's small presence in Mortal Kombat (2021) was so disappointing. First, Raiden can be a plot device, a character who is there to teach not only the Mortal Kombat Earthrealm champions but also the audiences about the Mortal Kombat universe and its rules. Raiden can also work as the wise yet sometimes funny master, such as Lord of the Rings, which is what the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie tried to do. Last, Raiden can be the all-powerful character whose story ties into the Mortal Kombat gods.
Unfortunately, the 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot did not incorporate any of these sides of Raiden. There was no introduction to Raiden as a character besides what Liu Kang and Kung Lao said about the God of Thunder. While Raiden is one of the most important Mortal Kombat characters, there had to be a more solid introduction to Raiden for those unfamiliar with the Mortal Kombat franchise. The Mortal Kombat reboot, unlike the 1995 movie, embraced the magic and mystical aspect of Mortal Kombat – meaning that it could have easily dived into Raiden's backstory and history with the Mortal Kombat gods.
How Mortal Kombat 2's Story Sets Up Raiden's Larger Role
Mortal Kombat 2 is expected to be bigger than the first film, as sequels often are. Given that the 2021 Mortal Kombat film skipped the tournament, it will be no surprise if Mortal Kombat 2 also avoids a traditional tournament as the story's motivator and focuses on the larger Mortal Kombat lore. Shao Kahn was teased in Mortal Kombat (2021), and if Mortal Kombat 2 wants to be bigger than the first movie, then it cannot limit itself to another Raiden vs. Shang Tsung story. Mortal Kombat 2 can show more of other worlds and incorporate the Elder Gods, all of which would make Raiden more critical.
That said, the Mortal Kombat: Annihilation's mistakes. Ironically, Mortal Kombat's worst movie is the one that incorporates the most elements from the Mortal Kombat game lore. Annihilation had Shao Kahn, the Elder Gods, Shinnok, Kuai Liang, and dozens of other Mortal Kombat characters in just one movie – and it did not work. Raiden had a bigger role in Annihilation than he did in Mortal Kombat (1995), but this larger story was not translated into a better movie. Mortal Kombat 2 must avoid that, although the film should feel more epic than the first Mortal Kombat.
