MTV Movie Awards Red Carpet: Nick Cannon’s ‘Mortal Kombat’ Style Face Mask Is Confusing the Internet

Nick Cannon made some bold fashion choices at the MTV Movie Awards red carpet event on Sunday, in an intimidating red combat vest and mask.

Cannon certainly stood out among the other celebrities on Sunday afternoon, for better or for worse. The acclaimed TV host wore a red and black mask across his lower face, not unlike a muzzle. He matched it with a red and black vest over a bare chest, made to look like armor or even a bulletproof plate. According to a report by The Daily Mail, both pieces were made by Louis Vuitton.

Cannon adorned the outfit with two big gold chains hanging down to his chest, and a loose-fitting gold watch. He wore slim sunglasses, completing his mask, and below the waist he wore khaki joggers pulled up to his calves. He wore low-top canvas sneakers patterned in red and the Louis Vuitton logo.

Cannon struck some garish poses to go with his bright outfit. On the red carpet, he held his arms out wide for photographers, then brought them together as if in prayer. He also hooked his thumbs under the chain to hold them up. Whether he was smiling in any of those pictures was not clear.

Cannon gave no reason for his strange attire, but social media users provided some guesses. Many compared his mask to those of fictional characters — notably Scorpion and Sub-Zero from Mortal Kombat. Others compared him to Optimus Prime, Desmond Miles or any number of other masked characters.

“It looks like a Project Runway S&M challenge fail,” joked one Twitter user.

“The Masked Singer [laughing out loud],” quipped another.

“He’s dressed like an unlocked Mortal Kombat character,” wrote a third person.

Of course, not everyone hated Cannon’s look. More than a few people left comments asking if they could buy the ensemble for themselves and where. A few even pointed out that masks are a burgeoning market in fashion around the world, especially in places where air quality is a concern. Some have also taken to wearing fashionable masks in airports, shopping centers or other public places to avoid facial recognition technology.

“BUUUUUTTTT, face masks are pretty popular in Asia for function and fashion,” one person countered.

There is plenty more to see outside of Cannon’s outfit at the MTV Movie Awards this weekend. The night features Shazam! host Zachary Levi as host, holding down the stage at the Barker Hanger in Santa Monica, California. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is expected to be honored wit hthe Generation Award for his career of achievements, and Jada Pinkett Smith will get the Trailblazer Award.

The MTV Movie Awards air on Monday and Tuesday night on MTV.