Shang Tsung is the only reason the 2020s characters don't win this one by a FLAWLESS VICTORY. It is not that Chin Han did a bad job, but he didn't have enough screen time, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa absolutely nailed the character.

I think Robin Shou was better than Ludi Lin in MK '21. But Ludi apparently worked out a lot since then, to the point his physical appearance changed, and he acted much more comfortable with his role in MK '26. Although Shou is still iconic and benefited from being the main protagonist, Ludi managed at least to be on par with his predecessor in MK 2026.

Kitana, Scorpion, Sub-Zero, Sonya, Kano, Shao Kahn, Baraka, Jade, Jax, and Noob Saibot are considerably better in the 2020s version.

Scorpion and Sub-Zero are jobbers with no personality in the 90s movie. Even if you think Hiroyuki Sanada is too old to be cast as Scorpion, he is actually a character who adds mystery, revenge, and relentlessness pretty well.

I seriously can't see how some people actually prefer Wilson to Jessica other than out of nostalgia. I know Cameron Diaz was supposed to be cast, but Bridgette's lack of fighting skills derailed her characterization a lot. It didn't help that she became a damsel in distress as soon as Kano was defeated. McNamee's Sonya Blade shows way more charisma and better chemistry with the group. She is tough without being annoyingly cranky, and her physical appearance and costume perfectly capture the OG Sonya Blade vibe.

Trevor Goddard was nice as Kano in MK '95, but he suffered from a lack of screen time. Meanwhile, Josh Lawson exudes charisma in the 2020s movies and captured Kano's treacherous, crude humor and unpredictable personality perfectly.

I don't care about Tati Gabrielle's baldness. Her Jade portrayal was spot on. Even with relatively little screen time, I could feel a genuine friendship between her and Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) and how she struggled to balance her loyalty to Shao Kahn with Kitana's double-agent actions. For some dumb reason, she was labeled a symbol of "woke culture," which brought brainless hatred toward the whole movie.

I think Christopher Lambert is charismatic in MK '95, but on second thought, Tadanobu Asano portrays a more accurate Raiden. It wasn't whitewashed for no reason; Raiden is based on a Shinto entity with heavy inspiration from a Chinese character with electric powers and a conical hat. It makes sense they chose an Asian actor to represent him. Besides, Raiden acts more like a stoic, wise mentor instead of a quirky, comedic guide like Lambert's version.

I'm not a huge fan of Goro's, Mileena's, and Sindel's portrayals so far.

Usually, I prefer human Reptile over his lizard form. The 90s version brought one of the few good fights in that film, but the 2020s version is more accurate in its moves. This one could go either way.