Mortal Kombat Movie Trailer: 7 Ups & 3 Downs
3. Down - Not A Lot Of Time Spent On Raiden
If you've never played MK before, and watched this trailer, then you likely wouldn't have even thought twice about this character, which is an huge disservice to his importance.
Raiden is, in many ways, the most essential role in the series. As the mentor for the core Earthrealm representatives, he plays a critical part in gathering the team, and protecting the realm. But according to this trailer, he doesn't even deserve a proper introduction.
Raiden wasn't the only character to miss the spotlight, as Kung Lao and even Liu Kang didn't get as much attention as they deserved, but Raiden undoubtedly needed more. Overall his screen time amounted to roughly five seconds, with nothing substantial to indicate what Tadanabu Asano's version of the thunder-god will operate like.
This does not paint the right picture for people going into the movie if they've no experience of the series. But it's also disappointing for MK fans because Raiden is a character they always want to see, and his distinct absence is a little suspicious.
Are they not happy with the direction, are they hiding something, or is it just a bit of a creative misstep? Only time will tell.