Summary
Mortal Kombat 2’s Johnny Cage is expected to be different from what audiences may be expecting, which is a huge risk after the 2021 reboot’s divisive decisions. More than 20 years after theMortal Kombat: Annihilationdisaster, theMKfranchise returned to the big screen with a brand-new film that rebooted the saga. AlthoughMortal Kombat(2021) included a lot of fan-favorite charactersand combined aspects from the original game and the rebooted timeline, it did not feature Johnny Cage. Fortunately,Mortal Kombat’s castwill include the stunt actor-turned-hero, with Karl Urban playing the iconic Earthrealm champion.
It was easy to predict that Johnny Cage was going to be inMortal Kombat 2after how the 2021 movie ended. The announcement that Urban was going to play Cage made his addition to the sequel even more exciting. However,getting Johnny Cage right will not be easy, namely because the firstMortal Kombatalready replaced him in a few ways. Not much is known aboutMortal Kombat 2’s story, but it seems like the sequel’s version of Johnny Cage will do some different things with him compared to the games and previous movies.
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Mortal Kombat 2’s Johnny Cage May Be Different From The Games & What Audiences Expect
Mortal Kombat 2 Is Teasing A Different Johnny Cage
During an exclusive interview withScreen Rantat San Diego Comic-Con 2024,Mortal Kombatstar Lewis Tandiscussed what audiences can expect from Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage. The Cole Young actor noticed how talented and experienced Urban is, including when it comes to major franchises likeMortal Kombat. According to Tan, Urban’s character will be“maybe different from what people are expecting.”Tan describes this version of Cage as“unique”and says he has enjoyed what Urban did with the character. Cole and Cage may interact a lot given the former was set to recruit the latter.
He’s bringing a really interesting take on Johnny Cage. I can’t talk about too much, but I can say personally that he’s a great guy and we had a lot of fun, a lot of laughs on set ,and I like what he’s doing with the character. I think it’s really unique, it’s maybe different from what people are expecting, but I think he’s such good actor. He’s been around for a long time, done a lot of great roles, and a lot of great franchises himself. So yeah, he’s no stranger to this type of thing, so he’s bringing something really special.
It is unclear what this different, unique take on Johnny Cage will be.Mortal Kombathas gone through several reboots, time travel shenanigans, and creative teamsover the years, but most characters have retained their personality and aesthetic in every version. That said, all previousMortal Kombatmovies have taken creative liberties when pulling characters and stories from the games. As great of a story asMortal Kombathas, especially compared to other fighting games, its lore is flexible enough to welcome different interpretations. This is particularly true for movie adaptations, be they live-action or animated. Still, changes are always tricky.
Mortal Kombat Was Already Divisive For Changing The Games & Not Using Johnny Cage
Mortal Kombat’s 2021 Reboot Made Some Bold Choices
WhileMortal Kombatdoes welcome different interpretations,Mortal Kombat(2021) made some big changes to the structure of the storyfans of the game are used to. The film felt like a combination of the classicMortal Kombatorigin story and the elements introduced in the post-reboot timeline, yet it strangely excluded Johnny Cage. Additionally, even though Scorpion and Sub-Zero were heavily featured in the marketing campaign, they only had a couple of interactions in the entire film. Scorpion’s origin story was not shown, with Hanzo only returning at the very end for the final fight.
SomeMortal Kombatgames and most of the adaptations have used Johnny Cage as the point-of-view character.
Another major problem was thatMortal Kombatdid not include the tournament, a very risky creative decision that played against the movie. A more traditionalMortal Kombatstory in which everything revolved around the tournament might have helped the reboot in terms of reception and would made other big changes more digestible. However,the most controversialMortal Kombatchange was the addition of Cole Young, an original character with no counterpart in the game. Cole Young was clearly designed to be Cage’s replacement, with the former taking on the latter’s usual role as the point-of-view character.
Joe Taslim
Bi-Han/Sub-Zero
SomeMortal Kombatgames and most of the adaptations have used Johnny Cage as the point-of-view character. He is the character who is not aware of what Mortal Kombat is and helps audiences learn about the rules of that world. This is something thatMortal Kombat(1995) got right, which is part of the reason why Linden Ashby’s Johnny Cage worked so well. InMortal Kombat(2021),Cole Young is the “chosen one” who has the Mark of the Dragonbut has no idea what it means and why he is so important, thus essentially replacing Cage’s role in the story.
Mortal Kombat 2 Really Needs To Get Johnny Cage Right
Cage Is One Of The Franchise’s Most Popular Characters
It’s been almost 30 years since a live-actionMortal Kombattheatrical movie got Johnny Cage right.Ashby did not reprise his role inMortal Kombat: Annihilation, which instead recast the character and killed Johnny Cage within the first few minutes of the film. Between Annihilation’s insult and theMortal Kombat(2021) skipping the character entirely,Mortal Kombat 2has to nail Johnny Cage. The franchise is aware of Cage’s importance and even teased him at the end of the 2021 film, suggestingKarl Urban’s characterwill be front and center in the sequel.
Mortal Kombat 2premiers on July 05, 2025.
While it is difficult to define who isMortal Kombat’s main character given the very nature of the franchise, the saga has had different protagonists depending on the iteration. The first couple ofMKgames were heavily focused on Liu Kang, who was the face of the franchise for several years. Liu Kang was also the protagonist inMortal Kombat(1995) andAnnihilation, although the former also focused on Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade. RecentMortal Kombatgames and adaptations have given a lot of focus to Scorpion and Sub-Zero, butCage remains a fan favorite.
Why Mortal Kombat 2’s Johnny Cage Can Deliver
Karl Urban As Johnny Cage Is a Great Casting
Karl Urban is a fantastic actor who has brought to life a lot of popular characters, the most recent being Billy Butcher from Prime Video’sThe Boys. Urban is also used to playing iconic characters who have already been portrayed by other actors, as seen with Doctor McCoy from J.J. Abrams’Stark Trekreboot. Therefore, whatever acting choices Urban makes with Johnny Cage will certainly be very interesting. Karl Urban as Johnny Cage is an inspiring casting choice, and the fact it will be a unique version of Cage is exciting.
(…) Urban’s Cage should not be just an imitation of what previous actors have done with the character.
Given how Johnny Cage has appeared in almost everyMortal Kombatgame and movie, audiences have certain expectations regarding how he should look or behave. Although adhering to the source material is important, Urban’s Cage should not be just an imitation of what previous actors have done with the character. The core of Johnny Cage is that he will keep positive and hopeful no matter how complicated things get, but everything else can be adjusted depending on the storyMortal Kombat 2is trying to tell. The sequel will also incorporate other elements from the games, from characters to locations.
Mortal Kombat
Cast
Mortal Kombat is a 2021 film featuring Cole Young, a washed-up MMA fighter who discovers his heritage and joins Earth’s champions. Tasked with defending against Emperor Shang Tsung’s formidable warrior, Sub-Zero, Cole undergoes training for a critical battle against the forces of Outworld to protect the universe.
