Mortal Kombat II Leads the 2026 Preview Issue of Den of Geek Magazine

Test Your Might! Karl Urban and Mortal Kombat II Lead the 2026 Preview in the Winter Issue of Den of Geek Magazine

Dec. 9, 2025 - NEW YORK - Den of Geek, the premier destination for fandom and pop culture enthusiasts, is closing out the year with an eye toward the future via the December issue of Den of Geek magazine!

Leading a giant preview of all things 2026 is an exclusive MORTAL KOMBAT II cover story. Stars Karl Urban, Adeline Rudolph, Tati Gabrielle, and Martyn Ford, as well as director Simon McQuoid, screenwriter Jeremy Slater, and Mortal Kombat co-creator, mastermind, and executive producer Ed Boon, sit down to discuss how their fatality-laden epic became the first major action movie spectacle to kick off next summer.

“The scale of the production was as big, if not bigger, than anything that I worked on in Lord of the Rings,” Urban says. “When you walk onto the set of Edenia, and it fills the largest soundstage at the Village Roadshow Studios in the Gold Coast, and you see the quality of the craftsmanship, you’re under no illusions that you’re in a film that’s as big as it gets.”

Urban also opens up in the cover story about preparing for months to do stunts in the film—including Johnny Cage’s famed “nut punch” from the games—and how he looked to martial arts and comedy legends to inform a new sensibility for MK on screen: “I feel like I really benefited from the tail of the ‘70s and the ‘80s, and the ‘90s of having these iconic actors, whether it be the Eastwoods or Paul Newman, or Harrison Ford or Stallone or Schwarzenegger… all these guys. And as it pertains to Johnny Cage, you also see specifically Van Damme, who in my opinion was phenomenal, and Jackie Chan, who I drew huge inspiration from for the tone of some of Johnny Cage’s fights.”

Also in the 2026 preview is an exclusive sit down interview with Nia DaCosta about entering 28 YEARS LATER: THE BONE TEMPLE, and taking the helm of the darkest chapter yet in Danny Boyle and Alex Garland’s post-apocalyptic fantasia.

“[Boyle] really listened when I had thoughts or feelings about how those decisions would impact my movie,” says DaCosta. “There were some things I had to change from his movie to my movie, in part because… certain things that worked in Danny’s film would not look right in mine. We’re doing things differently.” 

The issue also contains an exclusive inside look and new photos of the most surprisingly wholesome corner of the Game of Thrones universe to date, A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS. But even in that context, showrunner Ira Parker hints that he is still seeking to cut against the grain with how modern fiction depicts evil: “There are a lot of villain backstories in general across the film and television spectrum that I’m just getting a little sick of. [Ours] is almost unreadable at points. You think Aerion’s having fun with it. Then you think it’s a personality defect or maybe his father. He’s mysterious. It could go so many different ways.”

The new issue also includes exclusive looks at WONDER MAN, WHISTLE, and a slew of 2026 movies, TV shows, and video games that run the gamut from Mario to Daredevil. It also contains the discerning collector’s inside guide for holiday gift guides and more. So be sure to pick up your copy this month at your local comic book shop or find it online for free!

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