IT HAS BEGUN!
[discuss :: more info :: series 1]

It was the toke heard around the world, and for some, it immediately ingrained Matt Mullins as one of the best new finds for the Mortal Kombat movie universe.

His take was different, but that was true of the entire presentation in the short film called Mortal Kombat: Rebirth. It captured the imaginations of a vast many and led Mullins and his director to Mortal Kombat: Legacy -- a ten-part live-action series comissioned by WB for digital release.

When a second series of Legacy began filming at the end of 2012, we were surprised to learn Mullins would not be a part of it [original story]. Amidst the chaos of a new year and a filming schedule, we talked briefly with Mullins about his shock departure, Cage recasting, and his plans for the future. [Don't forget to watch Matt Mullins as Cage in Legacy Episode 3]

The July announcement gave fans of Mortal Kombat: Legacy a list of characters to shoot for, but today we get our first look at the costumed line-up thanks to social networking director, Kevin Tancharoen (@KTANCH).

The fast and furious world of digital distribution means Mortal Kombat: Legacy has made light work of shooting a second series! It was only a month ago we reported a confirmed start to filming -- now it's all wrapped up!

Left to Right: (Top) Ian Anthony Dale, Garrett Warren, Brian Tee, Casper Van Dien
(Bottom) Kevin Tancharoen, Lance Sloane

As with the first series; few sources have been as valuable to the promotion of Mortal Kombat: Legacy as the cast and crew themselves! We've seen a slew of photographic previews and sneak peeks since the November shoot began -- here are a few of the most recent!

No, you didn't stumble back in time. Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is the name that jumps out immediately in official Mortal Kombat: Legacy casting information, fresh from Warner Brothers!

The Japanese-born actor returns to the role he made famous in the 1995's Mortal Kombat feature film - replacing Johnson Phan as Shang Tsung! Tsung appeared only briefly in a string of Legacy cameos during the first series [Episodes 3, 4 & 8], but with a penchant for taking the forms of others, you've got to think this is one of the least jarring of the casting changes.

Casper Van Dien (Starship Troopers) and Mark Dacascos (Double Dragon) add more nineties Hollywood nostalgia to the list, joining the series as Johnny Cage and Kung Lao, respectively. This will be the first time Kung Lao makes it to a live-action adaptation, one of the few Mortal Kombat II characters to remain untouched by film. His ancient ancestor was the primary focus of the short-lived Mortal Kombat: Conquest series.

The most watched series on YouTube is officially coming back! Mortal Kombat: Legacy will return for a second season with director Kevin Tancharoen, who announced the news the only way that would make sense -- in an online video! [via IGN]

From the Palace Gates of Shang Tsung's Island, to the very top of the Pyramid of Argus: for twenty long years, characters from multiple realms have battled it out in a tournament called Mortal Kombat! Now, the kombatants face the greatest fight as we call upon the entire fanbase for the ultimate challenge!

In the early days, you could take for granted that Liu Kang would be the hero of the hour, but as Mortal Kombat has developed in complexity, the question of who truly reigns supreme becomes increasingly open to circumstance. Many characters have risen through the ranks in arcade endings, offering dozens of possible outcomes in each game, but story modes and what ifs can never truly reflect the powers of the mightiest mortals in kombat history.

With the series' twentieth anniversary mere months away, it is time for Mortal Kombat Online to vote for the very first time! We hope to gather the entire MK fanbase to answer a question that has garnered debate across three decades: Who is the Supreme Mortal Kombat Champion?

After concluding the genesis storyline of Sonya, Jax and Kano last week with episode #2 of Mortal Kombat: Legcay, this week a new chapter begins, featuring action hero Johnny Cage!

An article in the New York Times posts a couple of interesting pictures on the set of Mortal Kombat: Legacy, including the first real look we've gotten at Baraka yet.

Another was of actor Matt Mullins, who portrays Johnny Cage, in an action shot on the set: The article provides a recap on the history of MK: Legacy, including its origins as an unauthorized and not-meant-for-public consumption trailer called Mortal Kombat: Rebirth, as well as the history of the Mortal Kombat franchise in general. There are some other tidbits of information as well, such as how the crew had to be creative with its limited budget and that while the website Machinima.com was where the series first started, it plans to follow up by migrating future episodes to the iTunes store or potentially even TV and physical media such as DVD.

A picture revealing part of Baraka had been revealed on the web previously [full story]. We have also been keeping tabs on MK Legacy and revealing the complete details of the series [full story].

To read the article in its entirety, click here. For more on this series, keep it tuned here to Mortal Kombat Online and follow us on Twitter (@MK_Online) as well!