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Please don't make Karl Urban's Johnny Cage the comic relief of Mortal Kombat 2 - he deserves so much more than that
Johnny Cage saved Earthrealm a dozen times and he deserves your respect
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In the sprawling web of Mortal Kombat characters, few are as iconic as Johnny Cage. When he was first teased at the end of 2021’s Mortal Kombat, it sent fans of the games into a frenzy of speculation. Now, with the first image of Karl Urban as Johnny Cage making their way online, we just hope Mortal Kombat 2 doesn’t turn the Hollywood star into a walking punchline because he deserves so much more than that.
In a recent interview, Mortal Kombat series creator Ed “Get Over Her” Boon called the way Mortal Kombat 2 introduces Johnny Cage “ridiculously hilarious” and mentioned that he got “some of the biggest laughs” during early screenings of the film. “He’s a washed-up Hollywood guy thrown into this magical, ultra-violent thing. Karl [Urban], his depiction of Johnny Cage is different than our own games in some ways. He’s adding his own flare to it, but I think it’ll feel fresh. There’s like a novelty factor in there.”
While Mortal Kombat 2 director Simon McQuoid added that the character “wasn’t just completely silly,” we’re still hopeful that the script gives Johnny Cage the respect he deserves, taking its cue from the original Mortal Kombat film from 1995. Sure, Johnny Cage was cocky and brash and just unbearable to be around, but he was still a competent fighter. That is a core part of his character; he’s a Hollywood action star with the fighting skills to back up his talk.
Mortal Kombat 2, with Karl Urban’s fresh take on the iconic Johnny Cage, is due out in cinemas on October 24, 2025.
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