Mortal Kombat 2 not only features fan-favorite fighters such as Johnny Cage and Kitana but also brings back the opportunistic antagonist, Kano. Despite dying in the 2021 film, the villain was able to make a comeback in the recently released Mortal Kombat sequel for two primary reasons.

Mortal Kombat 2 writer and Kano actor explain why he returns

Speaking with ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan, Josh Lawson, who plays Kano in the new Mortal Kombat movies, revealed that fans’ overwhelmingly positive response to his character prompted the Mortal Kombat team to plan his return.

“When the fan response came out, I was like, ‘Oh my God, it sucks that I died. It’s such a bummer,’” he noted. “But obviously, behind the scenes, they were like, ‘He’s not dead. Let’s get him back.’ And mercifully, we live in this Mortal Kombat world where it kind of makes sense. There is some allowance for a character to come back.”

Meanwhile, Mortal Kombat 2 writer Jeremy Slater reportedly made it clear from the beginning that he wanted Lawson’s Kano in the sequel, no matter what. “I told them right off the bat, I’m not taking this job unless I can bring Kano back to life,” he told Variety. “Josh Lawson was my favorite part about the first movie. I thought his version of Kano is so funny and so instantly iconic. So I knew I had to have him in the movie, and I really wanted a Kung Lao fight. Those were two that I had to bring back, and then you look at the amount of real estate you have.”

During the interview, Slater also teased the possible return of other fallen fighters in future sequels, such as Kabal, Reptile, Mileena, and Goro. “The great thing about the Mortal Kombat universe is death is never permanent, and that doesn’t mean we’ll never see them again in some future installment,” he explained.

Originally reported by Apoorv Rastogi on SuperHeroHype.