Cole Young is the original character created for the 2021 film Mortal Kombat.
Cole Young is a mixed martial arts fighter who serves as the film’s central viewpoint character. He is not adapted directly from the playable roster of the video games. The film uses his discovery of Mortal Kombat and his connection to the tournament as a way to introduce audiences to the franchise’s realms, champions, and supernatural conflict.
Lewis Tan played Cole Young in the 2021 film. The movie also features game characters such as Sonya Blade, Jax, Kano, Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Raiden, Scorpion, and Sub-Zero. Cole’s inclusion is therefore different from changes in characterization applied to established fighters: he was created specifically for this film rather than being a renamed version of a game character.