Mortal Kombat seemed to have a bright future on the big screen, with major plans in place for the franchise. However, its future is now uncertain following the box office failure of the second installment, which hit theaters in 2026. And yes, the third movie is currently in limbo and may never become a reality.

Director Simon McQuoid hinted at this possibility while once again discussing a potential third installment that would continue the story from the recent sequel. His comments offer a glimmer of hope, but fans are understandably worried that Warner Bros. could decide to abandon the franchise.

Mortal Kombat 3 película cancelada

Simon McQuoid may not return for Mortal Kombat 3

The first movie in the rebooted franchise premiered in 2021 and had a modest theatrical run, grossing just $84 million worldwide. However, it’s important to remember that the movie was released during the pandemic. In fact, it became a major success on HBO Max.

As a result, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. gave the green light to a sequel. Mortal Kombat 2 was first shown to audiences in 2025, and its trailer broke viewership records. Encouraged by the apparent positive reception, producers pushed the movie’s release to May 2026. Unfortunately, the film failed to perform as expected at the box office.

During a recent interview with TheWrap (via GamesRadar+), director Simon McQuoid discussed several topics related to the movie starring Karl Urban, Jessica McNamee, Lewis Tan, and Adeline Rudolph. Inevitably, Mortal Kombat 3 came up during the conversation.

When asked about the status of Mortal Kombat 3, the filmmaker said he still doesn’t know what’s going to happen because the second movie “is still in its life cycle.” It was essentially the same answer he gave weeks earlier in another interview, when he revealed that fans would have to wait before the studio makes any official announcement about the future of the series.

The second part of McQuoid’s answer is perhaps the most interesting. The director said that he wants to tell other stories outside the Mortal Kombat universe and revealed that he has several projects in development. One of them is already in the casting process, and the filmmaker confirmed that the production has nothing to do with the action franchise.

Of course, another director could take over if New Line Cinema and Warner Bros. decide to move forward with a sequel. However, the fact that the filmmaker behind the first two movies already has other projects in the works paints a worrying picture for the franchise created by Ed Boon and John Tobias.

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Mortal Kombat 2 flopped at the box office but is succeeding on HBO Max

The entire situation may come as a surprise to fans, since a sequel was already part of the franchise’s plans. At the New York Comic Con in 2025, screenwriter Jeremy Slater revealed that he had been hired to write the story for the franchise’s third movie.

However, the writer revealed shortly before Mortal Kombat 2 premiered that producers had not yet greenlit the new installment. As a result, it’s possible that the sequel’s poor box office performance brought an end to the studios’ plans.

MK2 opened between Michael and The Devil Wears Prada 2, resulting in a relatively modest theatrical run. Things didn’t get any easier in the following weeks, when surprises such as Backrooms and Obsession arrived in theaters.

By the end of its theatrical run, the sequel had grossed $129 million worldwide, considerably more than the original 2021 movie. However, considering that the film had an $80 million production budget, not including marketing expenses, it’s difficult to classify it as a box office success.

Everything suggests that the future of Mortal Kombat 3 could depend on physical and digital sales, as well as the sequel’s performance on streaming platforms. In that regard, the action movie debuted at No. 1 on HBO Max and is currently No. 2 in Mexico, only behind Five Nights at Freddy’s 2.

But tell us, would you like to see another movie in the franchise? Let us know in the comments.