Word is The Boys star Karl Urban will be our next live-action Johnny Cage, as the actor is reportedly in final talks to play the role in Mortal Kombat 2. The character is a fan favorite, having been a part of the Mortal Kombat video games since the very first installment, but he was noticeably absent in the 2021 movie adaptation. It was teased in the end of the film that Johnny Cage would be featured in a sequel, but as it didn’t show the character, an actor hadn’t yet been cast to play the Master of the Shadow Kick.
Fast-forwarding to today, when Mortal Kombat 2 is on track to start filming this summer, and we know a bit more about the plans for Johnny Cage. While the reports of Urban’s casting haven’t been officially verified by the studio or the actor, the popular digital artist BossLogic has gone ahead and crafted some poster artwork imagining that incarnation of the character. The unofficial poster features a close-up of Urban’s face with Cage-style shades, and in their reflection, we can see adoring fans holding up 8×10 photos they’re hoping to get autographed. You can view the artwork below.
Karl Urban: Master of the Shadow Kick?
The reported casting has drawn some mixed opinions on social media. Everyone seems to love Urban unanimously, though some say he’s not quite the right fit for Johnny Cage. Some say that, physically, he looks more like Kano, though it’s worth noting that Josh Lawson already played a version of that villain in the 2021 film. Other fans are saying that Urban’s a bit too old to play Cage, as the actor is 50 years old, while some incarnations of Johnny Cage, especially in the earlier Mortal Kombat games, depict him as much younger. However, more recent games feature an older version of Cage, whose daughter, Cassie Cage, has since become a tournament fighter as well.
In any case, the reports have gotten a lot of people talking. It’s creating interest ahead of the movie’s planned production for this summer in Australia. This may also be a sign that other reported casting announcements are coming soon, perhaps for other fan favorite characters to be brought in, notably Kitana. All we really know for sure is that Simon McQuoid will be back in the director’s chair to helm the movie with a screenplay by Jeremy Slater. Sub-Zero actor Joe Taslim previously said he’s contracted to appear in up to four sequels, so chances are he will be back in the sequel. Cole Young actor Lewis Tan has also teased the sequel, suggesting he will be back.
“We’re full steam ahead. And now, we have [Mortal Kombat co-creator] Ed Boon with us as well, so we got the stamp of approval from the legend himself,” Tan said last year. “Number two is just going to be absolutely insane. Way bigger.”
The Mortal Kombat sequel doesn’t have a release date at this time.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
