‘Mortal Kombat’ Star Mehcad Brooks Says Reboot Will Help Release Anger Over Pandemic and Race Relations
Mortal Kombat fans are gushing over the 2021 reboot. The new film has a star-studded and diverse cast, including actor Mehcad Brooks. Brooks took preparation for the role seriously. In recent interviews, he’s discusses the significance of the film and how it relates to a global health and racial pandemic.
How Mehcad Brooks prepared for his role in ‘Mortal Kombat’
The Mortal Kombat reboot chronicles the story of MMA fighter Cole Young as he seeks out Earth’s greatest champions in order to combat the enemies of Outworld in a fight for the universe.
Brooks stars as Jax, a trained military soldier on the team of good guys. His right hand man, or woman, is his army partner Sonya Blade.
Related: 2021 ‘Mortal Kombat’ Director Promises Gruesome Fatalities on HBO Max, in Theaters
Aside from being a superfan of the video game, Brooks is excited for fans to see the film due to its representation of Black characters in the movie.
“African-Americans can tell a story from a perspective that no one else can,” he tells The Root in a recent interview. “Being Black in America…it’s a constant state of alchemy of transmuting anger into purpose, pain into passion [and] sorrow into fuel. We were systematically held from having our voices heard and expanded upon and I’m looking forward to those days being over.”
Brooks spent much time preparing for the role. He trained hard to get into the best shape for the film, putting on 35 pounds of muscle to bulk his already fit frame through heavy lifting and eating 1,200 calories a day.
Mehcad Brooks says ‘Mortal Kombat’ viewers will release anger watching the reboot
With Mortal Kombat streaming and playing in select theatres amid quarantine restrictions lifting, Brooks is excited for people to see the movie. While some are hesitant to watch a reboot, Brooks says the film’s release comes at a perfect time amid such a rough year.
For starters, he says the pandemic and frustration associated with it makes a fighting and action packed film ideal. During a recent interview with The Wrap, Brooks said, “For me it’s like, there’s certain times when it’s perfect for a movie to come out and I think this is a perfect time for ‘Mortal Kombat’ to come out,” he says. “We need this.”
Related: How Many Mortal Kombat Movies Are There?
He says the reboot accomplishes “a few things.” one of which is the subject of diversity and inclusion in Hollywood and in life. Outside of such, with the Black Lives Matter Movement and racial tensions at a high, Brooks says the cast does a good job of bringing together all ethnicities, which he feels will transcend across audiences as well.
“We need to get our anger out,” he says. “There’s a lot of fatalities in there so people are gonna get their anger out. We need to see multi-racial and multi-national cooperation with people. I think we need to have this celebratory, adventurous, feel-good time. And that’s what it is. That’s just what it is!”
Mortal Kombat is available for streaming now on HBO Max.
