Obnoxious, self-centered, and immature, but also one of the bravest and most loyal characters in Mortal Kombat. This is the best way to describe Johnny Cage. And, while the airheaded warrior has a tendency to annoy people around him, Cage is as reliable as they come. Unfortunately, Cage’s popularity among fans makes casting him for the live-action sequel difficult. But, the recent announcement implies a spot-on choice.
Karl Urban, who’s perhaps best known among today’s audiences as the actor behind Billy Butcher, the charming anti-hero leader of The Boys, is reportedly in the running to play Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2.
According to The Wrap, Warner Bros. Discovery is in final talks to bring in Urban as Cage for the sequel to one of the more successful and recent live-action video game film adaptations.
Todd Garner later retweeted the news, somewhat proving the legitimacy of the claims.
It’s unclear how big of a role Urban’s Cage will have in Mortal Kombat 2 if he signs up for the role but it’s unlikely to be a small cameo.
As previously mentioned, Cage is a prominent character in the franchise. Not to mention, Cage has a long-term romantic relationship with Sonya Blade, who, in later entries, he marries and shares a child with, Cassie Cage.
Of course, the film adaptation has already taken creative liberties with the source material, so Cage might not necessarily play a prominent role. But, if Urban is in it, it’s going to be huge and likely long-term. This makes sense considering that Urban’s time as Billy Butcher in Amazon Prime Video’s The Boys should be nearing its end.
Coincidentally, the news comes roughly a month before filming in Australia starts. Most likely, the movie is rounding up its cast so it can finally get the cameras rolling ahead of, hopefully, a 2024 release date. However, the more hopeful Mortal Kombat fans would love to see at least a trailer later this year if only to tie in for the series’ upcoming entry.
One of the most controversial video game franchises ever, Mortal Kombat celebrated 30 years in the gaming industry last year.
NetherRealm Studios is currently working on Mortal Kombat 12, which Warner Bros. Discovery’s CEO, David Zaslav, leaked earlier this year. It’s believed that Mortal Kombat 12 will be revealed in a few weeks but we haven’t heard an official confirmation since.
In the meantime, fans of Karl Urban can look forward to seeing him in action in Season 4 of The Boys, which has a hype-inducing finale. The Boys Season 4 currently doesn’t have a release date but it will premiere after The Boys: Gen V hits Prime Video some time later this year.
