One of the fan-favorite kombatants in the Mortal Kombat reboot film is Kano, played by Josh Lawson (NBC’s St. Denis Medical). The actor portrayed the Earthrealm criminal as cocky and comedic who enjoyed playing with his newfound powers, shooting lasers from his eye!

With Mortal Kombat 2 on the horizon, Lawson will reprise his role as Kano. In the 2021 film, the villain met his end when Sonya Blade, played by Jessica McNamee, shoved a garden gnome into his laser eye. So how will Kano return in the sequel?

“I was hopeful, but yeah, it’s sort of ‘Expect the worst, hope for the best,'” Lawson tells Nerd Reactor. “But I gotta say, the way they’ve done it, no spoilers, is really clever. And there are clues to his salvation that are in the first film. So yeah, there you go. Go watch the first one again. You might be able to figure out how it happens.”

About Mortal Kombat 2

Mortal Kombat 2 is the sequel to the 2021 reboot, which is based on the popular fighting game by NetherRealm Studios.

The film stars Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, Tadanobu Asano as Raiden, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, and more. They are joined by newcomers Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, Tati Gabrielle as Jade, Adeline Rudolph as Kitana, Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn, Desmond Chiam as King Jerrod, Ana Thu Nguyen as Queen Sindel, and Damon Herriman as Quan Chi.

Simon McQuoid directed the 2021 film and will return for the sequel from a script by Jeremy Slater (Moon Knight, The Umbrella Academy, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire).

Mortal Kombat 2 is expected to be released on October 24, 2025.