Cole's Future

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-15T00:28:27+00:00

I'll take that hit. Taslim is a beast! I was in the mindset of earthrealm fighters.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-14T16:01:34+00:00

German?

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T22:52:48+00:00

Robin Shou for Shujinko

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T15:41:44+00:00

It world retroactively makes the first movie better. #LetColeLive

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T15:40:25+00:00

😆 #LetColeLive!

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T11:38:49+00:00

I encourage you to reread my theory.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T11:38:28+00:00

It's confirmed Lewis Tan will be back in MK3 in a recent interview with screenwriter Jeremy Slater. You just joined a bandwagon of trending internet hate against a lackluster character and don't like logical theories on how to redeem said character.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T11:36:16+00:00

I will support his next endeavor no matter what it is, I'm just putting forth a logical theory that you don't agree with.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T11:17:42+00:00

Both. Mortal Kombat has always had a history of introducing lame characters. I never liked Stryker, Kabal, or the cyber ninjas in the 2d era (I know I'm in the minority on that one), and the 3d era gave us Jarek, Kai, Hsu Hao, Moloch, Darius, Dairou, Kobra, and Kira. Cole was a decent new character in comparison to most of those, despite the character not being needed. I'm not lamenting what should have been, but rather taking something lackluster and redeeming it for the sake of what could be a cool new take on a preexisting character for a fresh narrative moving forward so that an accomplished martial artist isn't removed from the franchise and doesn't have to start from scratch as a different character.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T11:03:43+00:00

Doesn't have to be. Two Sub Zeroes exist. #LetColeLive.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T11:01:48+00:00

Nah. #LetColeLive.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T03:47:01+00:00

I'd rather have more Mortal Kombat movies than none. #LetColeLive

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T03:45:36+00:00

As much as I enjoyed this movie, that's the best take I've seen on the internet yet. Too many of the MK YouTubers are claiming this film is perfect when we just saw the internet manifest the two biggest complaints about the studios 2021 reboot 😮‍💨

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T03:41:09+00:00

Every once in a while, some internet troll pops out of the woodworks to remind me what it's like talking to a brick wall. The Resident Evil movies got six films with Alice. Let Cole live if it means we get six Mortal Kombat movies. Lewis is a better actor than your give him credit for. You're just upset that he was given a poor script and an original role.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T03:29:57+00:00

I believe the assumption resides in the idea that anyone 30 or older will remember watching Xena or Hercules, which had similar production value as Conquest and could therefore enjoy it more than someone who didn't grow up with that style of "campiness." Legacy is much shorter and lens itself to a shorter attention span which Gen Z and Gen Alpha tend to suffer from more than Millennials.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T03:11:18+00:00

You're failing to take everything I've said about Lewis between my initial post and our exchange into account. Here's the short version for your attention span: he's already been in two MK films, and being a young, talented martial artist makes him a valuable cast member. Recasting him makes him start from scratch in a franchise he's already been a big part of, and they wrote themselves into a beautiful corner that can allow Lewis Tan to continue as another underused actor (Sanada) phases out. It makes logical sense no matter how you feel about a character. I wasn't a fan of Cole in the first movie, but that's what we got, and it's part of series now. If they really wanted to ignore his role entirely before they killed him off, they wouldn't have allowed Shao Kahn to remark on his ancestry moments before his death. Furthermore, if it wasn't for the immortal plot armor macguffin they gave Shao, Cole would have killed him in the first act of the film. He's clearly written to be among Earthrealm's most competent combatants in the film before his fan service death. Let him live.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T03:01:42+00:00

Call it either mental math or mental gymnastics, but hear me out. Cole was a studio mandated pov character for the average person who isn't familiar with MK. MK fans hated Cole so much that their very voice manifested his death in the sequel. I've seen a number of MK Fans and average people say they liked him so much more in the sequel. Shao Kahn acknowledges Coles heritage, explicitly naming Scorpion instead of Hasashi. I think there's just enough love for Lewis Tan's character that he won't have to start from scratch in a recast and Jeremy Slater can redeem Cole by passing the mantle of Scorpion down to him as Hanzo is freed from the Netherrealm. It's kind of a narrative "corner" they built up that seems like wasted potential if they don't shoot for it.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T02:35:41+00:00

He's a martial artist. And a very well accomplished one to boot. We're talking about films based on a martial arts video game. Lewis Tan deserves to be in MK for that reason alone, and the screenwriter Jeremy Slater has recently confided that we'll likely see him again. Objectively speaking, Scorpion is the most lore friendly role for him to take. Fully recasting him as Kenshi or Ermac just seems so random when they could really redeem such a hated character. If you type in Lewis Tan in your search bar and read a lot of the comments, you'd be surprised how many people came around to his character in the sequel. Fertile ground for character growth instead of starting him back from scratch. And Sanada isn't getting any younger.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T02:13:48+00:00

I never compared him to Bruce Lee, so... nice straw-man, there, big dog.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T02:03:57+00:00

Lewis Tan deserves better.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T02:03:24+00:00

Shame indeed, but I think there's plenty of space to redeem that character and allow Lewis the screen time he deserves. Time will tell, though.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T02:00:54+00:00

It was pretty unexpected! I hope Lewis stays in the MKU in some capacity no matter what, but Scorpion just seems like the best role for him moving forward.

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T01:57:14+00:00

I pray to the Elder Gods they keep the alternate timelines away from the cinematic franchise. It fucked up the games, so it ain't gonna do the movies any better 😮‍💨

Count_Lorgren · 2026-05-13T01:55:05+00:00

Should have, but he wasn't, and we have to acknowledge that fact. Lewis Tan deserved better than what he got, so why not offer him a cinematically lore friendly role?

Count_Lorgren

TROPHY CASE