When 2021’s Mortal Kombat dished out fatalities on the big screen, one character from the original arcade game roster was noticeably missing from the ring: the cocky action-star-and-martial-artist Johnny Cage. Now that a sequel is in the works, all eyes are on the name set to play the fan-favorite role.
The Wrap reports that Karl Urban, best known for his work on Amazon’s superhero satire The Boys and the Star Trek movies, is in final negotiations to star as the iconic game character. If all works out, he will join director Simon McQuoid, who is returning to helm Mortal Kombat 2 after a successful first outing.
While the actor’s involvement in the project may be a surprise to some, it does make sense on some level. Urban is, after all, no stranger to big franchises, having previously appeared in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Thor: Ragnarok, Doom, and the Bourne Supremacy, among others. In The Boys, which recently wrapped up production for Season 4, he plays William “Billy” Butcher, leader of a group of CIA-sponsored vigilantes called, well, The Boys.
Story details for Mortal Kombat 2 remain under wraps, but it’s almost guaranteed that Johnny Cage will appear in the upcoming sequel. The end of the first movie made a brief tease to him, which sets up the perfect stage for him to make a glorious entrance. A release date has yet to be announced.
The 2021 film saw MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) being hunted by the fearsome Sub-Zero (Joe Taslim). Young finds sanctuary at the temple of Lord Raiden and trained with experienced fighters Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Kung Lao (Max Huang) and Kano (Josh Lawson). Together, they prepare to take on enemies from Outworld in a high-stakes battle for the universe, known as Mortal Kombat.