Matthew Thomas' Ideal Mortal Kombat Cast... er, Kast.

If I had to choose one game franchise that symbolized my childhood and solidified my lifelong love of video gaming, it would have to be Mortal Kombat. 2012 marks the 20 year anniversary of the original arcade hit and also the 20th year I've been playing, loving and nerding out over MK. 

The best and biggest news of October, in my eyes at least, is that the Mortal Kombat series is finally receiving the silver screen reboot it so desperately deserves. I liked the original movie simply because it was Mortal Kombat (that wasn’t enough to save Annihilation, which ironically annihilated the series’ short-lived movie adaptations). That said, the original was a low budget, cheesy and childish interpretation of one of the most violent and controversial games in history. Now that Mortal Kombat: Rebirth and Legacy mastermind Kevin Tancharoen has been given the green light to helm a feature-length MK film, the series may finally get the movie it has always deserved.

One of my largest complaints about the original Mortal Kombat film was the cast. While it’s understandable that they had to shoot low with their shoestring budget, the rich, diverse cast of MK characters deserves big names. It deserves actors who can do (at least some of) their own fighting/stunts. It deserves actors who can also, well, act. If Tancharoen hired me today as the casting director for his new MK film and if money were no option, here’s the cast I would choose to ensure the movie was a huge success.

Tony Jaa as Liu Kang. Not only is he one of the best modern martial arts actors, he looks a lot like Liu Kang. The only real concern is that I don't know if his English is good enough. Also, his Muy Thai fighting style isn’t particularly what Liu Kang would use, as a Shaolin-styled martial artist. Still, I’d rather have the best Kang possible played by one of the best movie martial artists possible than be deadlocked with cannon.

Donnie Yen as Kung Lao. Star of the intensely action-packed Ip Man trilogy, Donnie Yen knows what it takes to be an action hero. Yen has held his own in roles alongside the legendary Jet Li, who appears later in this list. His Ip Man costumes give a clear image of him as Kung Lao sans the trademark bladed hat. Pop that sucker on and the movies would have had to be called Kung Lao.

Michael Jai White as Jax. Casting Black Dynamite as Jax was one of the best casting decisions for Mortal Kombat: Legacy . Even if the movie reboot follows a different story, I see nobody else who could act and fight as well as White for this role. If White's busy filming Black Dynamite 2, I’d choose Terry Crews.

Tom Cruise as Johnny Cage. This one took a lot of thinking. I originally wanted Matt Damon, then though Mark Wahlburg may work, but this role really was made for Tom Cruise. In my opinion, he’s got the cocky swagger required for the role and that’s without even acting. His roles in the Mission Impossible movies and others show he’s got what it takes to do the action thing and he even looks like Cage. While I’m still torn between Cruise and Damon, Cruise’s role in Top Gun solidifies him as Johnny Cage.

Ali Larter as Sonya Blade- While I was torn between Larter and Sarah Michelle Gellar, I think Larter is the better fit for Sonya. Her roles in the wildly disappointing Heroes and Resident Evil: Extinction prove that her badassdom is up there with any of the guys on this list. In Extinction we see her playing a sexy take-no-shit soldier, which is already pretty close to Sonya Blade.

Jet Li as Shang Tsung. There is probably no way in hell this would actually happen, but take a look at some of Li's bad guy roles and you'll see that he'd be PERFECT for the soul sucking sorcerer. Check him out in The One for the perfect image of Shang Tsung.

Vin Diesel as Shao Kahn. Go ahead and get the laughs out of the way, I’ll wait… Okay, done? Now picture a ripped Vin Diesel with a skull helmet on his head and you'll see that he’s definitely got the look to play the Outworld emperor. Not only does he look the part, but his deep, gravelly voice is absolutely perfect for screaming "FIGHT!" and "FINISH HIM!"

Jason Statham as Kano. First, Kano’s probably my least favorite MK character in the entire roster. I can’t pinpoint why, but he is, maybe I just hate Australians. That said, I think I’d like the character a lot more if he were played by the star of The Transporter.

Lucy Liu as Kitana. Another no-brainer, her action sequences in Kill Bill remain some of my favorite female fighting in any recent movie. The Charlie’s Angels star would be the perfect Outworld princess if she were given a large enough role to showcase her skills. The only downside is having to cover up that beautiful face, but I suppose she could keep the cover off except when she’s fighting.

Michelle Rodriguez as Maleena. While it would be a tragedy to give a Tarkatan mouth to one of the most beautiful women in Hollywood, her “take-no-shit” badass stigma could use a little “bat-shit insane” to give her a bit of diversity while still playing to her strengths.

Angelina Jolie as Queen Sindel. Just picture Jolie with Sindel’s signature Elvira-esque hair and you’ll understand why I chose her as Outworld’s undead queen. If you’re still not convinced, picture those luscious lips doing Sindel’s scream attack and exploding some random Tarkatan’s head.

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Goro. While Goro better be CG in the new MK film, I’m picturing the photorealistic kind, a la Avatar. The kind of CG where you can clearly tell who the actor is. The Rock’s face, body type and larger-than-life persona make him a dead ringer for Shang Tsung’s 4-armed Shokan henchman.

Jeremy Renner as Scorpion. Jeremy Renner’s action movie credits include The Hurt Locker, 28 Weeks Later and his upcoming Hawkeye roll in Marvel’s The Avengers. From his acting straight down to his facial structure, I don’t think anybody else would serve justice to the rich story and unique fighting skills of Scorpion.

Mark Dacascos as Sub-Zero. I had a tough time choosing a Sub-Zero, but decided on Dacascos as our favorite Lin Kuei assassin. We need an excellent actor and action star opposite Jeremy Renner’s Scorpion to give their rich backstory the quality it deserves. Starring in Double Dragon, this wouldn’t be Dacascos’ first video game role. I could see an entire movie dedicated to the whole Sub-Zero/Scorpion story if these two play the palate-swapped ninjas.

Liam Neeson as Lord Raiden. Really, could anybody play a better thunder god than Mr. Neeson? He’s played an uber-wise Jedi as Qui-Gon Jin, a scorned father in Taken and he’s the only star on the roster who actually has experience playing a god with his role of Zeus in Clash of the Titans. In all reality, as long as Lambert isn’t Raiden, I’m happy.