A ‘Street Fighter’ and ‘Mortal Kombat’ crossover on the big screen is closer than ever, according to the actor who plays Liu Kang
Ludi Lin, the actor who plays Liu Kang in ‘Mortal Kombat,’ believes that the merger between Warner Bros. and Paramount opens the door to a crossover.
2026 is shaping up to be a spectacular year in the world of cinema for video game fans. In addition to the highly anticipated ‘The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,’ the end of the year will bring new live-action adaptations of two iconic fighting game franchises: ‘Street Fighter’ and ‘Mortal Kombat II.’ Although there has never been a crossover between the two sagas—at least not officially—the actor who plays Liu Kang says this clash of universes is closer than ever due to one key factor: the merger between Warner Bros. and Paramount.
The dream match between Ryu and Scorpion is closer than ever, according to the actor who plays Liu Kang in ‘Mortal Kombat 2’
Both Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat are two of the longest-running and most successful fighting game franchises of all time. Each has pushed the genre in different directions: while Capcom’s franchise focused on fluidity and a system of signature combos and special moves, Midway’s—and now Netherrealm’s—went all out with virtually unprecedented violence and an ambitious narrative in modern times.
That said, while there has never been a crossover between the two franchises—outside of the iconic MUGEN or the fan-game sphere—this could change sooner than we think in the world of cinema. In an IGN interview, Ludi Lin, the actor who plays Liu Kang in ‘Mortal Kombat’ (2021) and ‘Mortal Kombat II’ (2026), believes that the merger agreement between Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount Skydance could make it possible. “That’s a really interesting question. Now that there’s a pending sale of Warner Bros over to Paramount who’s doing Street Fighter, it’s very possible. It’d be so much fun,” the actor commented.
In other words: Lin believes that any potential issues regarding the film rights for both video games would take a back seat following the merger of these two entertainment giants. This way, the rights to both ‘Street Fighter’ and ‘Mortal Kombat’ would fall under the same umbrella, which would facilitate any negotiations between the production company and the companies that created the original titles and own their intellectual property rights.
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In short, even though there are currently no confirmed plans for a ‘Street Fighter vs. Mortal Kombat’ movie, it’s still fun to see how, amid this flurry of high-profile corporate moves, the merging of certain franchises is making possible matchups that seemed unthinkable not so long ago. Only time will tell if we’ll see Ryu fighting Scorpion in the future, or if, on the contrary, this dream will remain confined to that famous Flash animation from the mid-2000s.
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