Photo Credit: Warner Bros. Pictures
Mortal Kombat II’s release date delay has to do with James Gunn’s Superman movie.
Mortal Kombat II will hit theaters in 2026. The movie, which serves as a sequel to 2021’s Mortal Kombat, was originally scheduled to be released on October 24, 2025; the film, however, has been pushed back and now arrives on May 15, 2026, from Warner Bros. Pictures.
Why was Mortal Kombat II’s release date delayed?
While there was no reason stated for Mortal Kombat II’s delay when the announcement was made, a new report for Deadline suggests that it may be because of Superman’s financial success.
The article reads, “Superman did so well for Warner Bros. that they were able to push New Line’s Mortal Kombat II to mid-May next year as potential tentpole; the studio already reportedly in the black this year in regards to ROI, sources tell Deadline, before Paul Thomas Anderson’s Leonardo DiCaprio political action pic One Battle After Another opens.”
Superman has grossed approximately $614.4 million globally. A follow-up movie, Man of Tomorrow, is in the works and will see David Corenswet and Lex Luthor reprise their respective roles as the Man of Steel and Lex Luthor. That movie arrives on July 9, 2027.
Mortal Kombat II, meanwhile, comes from director Simon McQuoid. Based on the popular video game series created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, the cast of the movie includes Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, Adeline Rudolph as Kitana, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson as Kano, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, Tati Gabrielle as Jade, Lewis Tan as Cole Young, and more.
The 2021 Mortal Kombat movie made approximately $84.4 million globally. The only other movie currently dated for May 15, 2026, is a Sterling K. Brown and Janelle Monáe-starring thriller titled Is God Is; although, Lucasfilm’s The Mandalorian and Grogu then arrives the following week.
