The reveal that Karl Urban would play Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2 confused some franchise fans, but recent information about the sequel makes it a more logical choice. The story of Mortal Kombat 2 has been highly anticipated since the ending of 2021’s reboot teased more was to come. Four years later, the first look at Mortal Kombat 2 has been provided, offering audiences a glimpse at some new characters for the film as well as some returning favorites from its predecessor.

One such character who is making their debut in Mortal Kombat 2 is Johnny Cage. Some of Mortal Kombat‘s best fights in the franchise have involved this character, with the Hollywood star-turned-tournament champion being a fan-favorite since the series began. Mortal Kombat 2‘s returning characters are exciting, but it is Johnny Cage who will likely take the spotlight. Despite that, Karl Urban’s casting as the character caused some division, though recent information about Mortal Kombat 2‘s story shed a little more light on the decision.

Mortal Kombat 2 Wants Johnny Cage To Have More Depth

Hence The Casting Of A Very Strong Actor

The first look images for Mortal Kombat 2 came in an exclusive from Entertainment Weekly, with the various creatives involved in the production giving some insight into what to expect. Where Johnny Cage is concerned, director Simon McQuoid stated that he and his team were careful to strike a specific line with the character. McQuoid stated that while it could have been easy to make the character too over-the-top and silly, they wanted Johnny Cage to have more depth.

This certainly makes sense given that 2021’s Mortal Kombat has a slightly more serious tone than other iterations of the franchise. Although there are some sillier moments, the brutality and seriousness are more prevalent in 2021’s movie than the adaptations of the 1990s, for example. McQuoid and Ed Boon – the creator of the Mortal Kombat games – claim some of these sillier moments come from Johnny Cage’s introduction, but both praise Urban’s performance in allowing the human, deeper elements of the character to shine through.

Karl Urban Was A Surprising But Inspired Choice Johnny Cage

Urban’s Past Roles Prove He Was The Right Choice

Initially, Urban’s casting as Johnny Cage was met with indifference. Urban is a fantastic actor, but many ᴀssumed an actor that better embodied the outwardly confident, Hollywood “leading man” figure would be cast as Johnny Cage, given the character’s depiction as such in the Mortal Kombat franchise. However, these comments from McQuoid and Boon prove that Urban was the right choice for Mortal Kombat 2 after all, albeit an unexpected one.

Urban’s past roles prove that he is capable of bringing the silliness required for an exaggerated character like Johnny Cage, with something like The Boys proving so. Billy Butcher, perhaps Urban’s best-known role, is capable of these moments, but Urban also provides the character with a hidden layer of depth that drives him forward. Johnny Cage could be similar in that he has sillier aspects but reverts to the more human elements in quieter moments. This, combined with the comments about Mortal Kombat 2, proves that Urban may have been the right choice for Cage after all.