Mortal Kombat Movie Trailer: 7 Ups & 3 Downs

Introducing a new character is perfectly fine. However, Cole Young doesn't do much for the franchise, at least not from this trailer. He looks like your run of the mill Hollywood tough-guy protagonist, and to make it worse, all of a sudden, he isn't even there anymore.

The first half of the trailer leans heavily into Young, presenting him like the primary protagonist. However, after the half-way point - when the discussion shifts to the tournament itself - Cole suddenly fades into the background.

If there is some mid-way twist that sees the character not making it far into the competition, then this trailer has unfortunately revealed it, as his sudden absence makes it abundantly clear that his time with the movie might be limited. Since he's an original character, killing him off or losing him wouldn't upset fans, so you have to imagine that it might be in the cards.

You can notice him in the background of a shot or two in the second half, but nothing genuinely substantial, either implying that he's not there for a lot of the film or that he takes a sudden backseat behind the others. If that's the case then why neglect characters like Raiden and Liu Kang to focus on a role that won't even stick around.