Mortal Kombat 2: Who is Karl Urban Playing in the Sequel?
Mortal Kombat 2, the sequel to the 2021 live-action Mortal Kombat movie, is officially in the making. Fans of the video game couldn’t be more elated to find out that the filming of the movie is now completed. Hopefully, the wait will not be much longer for these fans who have been eagerly waiting for the sequel.
Although 2021’s Mortal Kombat had its fair share of great actors, this new movie is going to see the addition of new actors to the cast, including The Boys star Karl Urban. This brings us to the question of which video game character will Urban be playing in the movie.
Karl Urban Will Be Playing This Role in Mortal Kombat 2
While the first movie adapted numerous characters from the game, this sequel is going to introduce many new characters. One such character is Johnny Cage, who will be portrayed by Karl Urban in the movie.
For those unversed, Johnny Cage is an action movie star with a strong martial arts background. He was first introduced in 1992 and is portrayed as one of the primary heroes responsible for defending the Earthrealm. The character is inspired by the martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme, specifically his character Frank Dux, in the 1988 film Bloodsport.
Johnny Cage is popular for his martial arts skills, charismatic personality, and flashy fighting style. He is proficient in a variety of fighting styles, and his moves often incorporate elements of karate and other such disciplines.
In different iterations of the Mortal Kombat game, different qualities of Johnny Cage are showcased. Even so, some of his moves that are quite persistent are Green Shadow Kick (a fast and powerful side-kick that can be executed at different ranges) and Ninja Mime (as the name suggests, Cage can summon a stunt double to assist him in battle).
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Some other signature moves of Johnny are Force Balls and Nut Punch. In addition to these, he also shares the common moves of the other characters. He is also known for being witty and cocky which often enables him to taunt his opponents verbally, adding an entertaining element to his character. Watching Karl Urban play the role is going to be interesting, to say the least.
Joel McHale Has Faith in Karl Urban’s Casting in Mortal Kombat 2
Karl Urban is not the first actor to play the role of Johnny Cage in a film. The character has been previously portrayed by Linden Ashby, Chris Conrad, and others. Joel McHale has voiced Johnny Cage in 3 animated Mortal Kombat movies, and he has expressed his faith in Karl Urban playing the role in live-action.
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In late 2023, McHale said as much to ComicBook.com‘s Chris Killian:
“He’s one of the better actors around. My sons and I watch The Boys religiously, so yeah, he’s perfect. I think he was nominated for an Emmy for The Boys, pretty sure. It’s perfect casting.”
Considering the new surge in enthusiasm for movies adapted from video games, it can be assumed that Mortal Kombat 2 is going to be a fan favorite. The fact that the first movie did well despite being released in the post-pandemic era only affirms this assumption.
