Cole Young is a new Earthrealm champion with connections to Scorpion, adding depth to Mortal Kombat's lore. Netherrealm Studios doesn't plan to include Cole in games, but his potential impact on the franchise is intriguing. Mortal Kombat 2 should focus on existing characters rather than introducing more original creations like Cole Young.

The world of Mortal Kombat is full of a variety of interesting characters, yet the 2021 film adaptation is largely centered around a new champion of Earthrealm: a common cage fighter named Cole Young (Lewis Tan). Considering the franchise's many established combatants, many wondered why the 2021 movie needed the Cole Young Mortal Kombat character. Prior to the film's release, one of the more popular theories was that Cole Young would prove to be the real name of action movie superstar Johnny Cage. It was also suggested that Cole Young might be the true identity of either Sub-Zero or Scorpion.