From the moment Mortal Kombat came to an end, fans have been anticipating the debut of one of the most iconic characters from the video game franchise: Johnny Cage! As the first movie in the franchise came to an end, former MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan) made his way to Los Angeles seeking out a new recruit to join him in the looming battle ahead. It was teased that the man he was seeking out was none other than Johnny Cage which left fans on the edge of their seats wanting more.
While there was some concern at first about whether a sequel would be greenlit – after all, the first film didn’t exactly rake in a ton of cash at the box office due to its hybrid release during the pandemic which saw Mortal Kombat opening in theaters while also dropping on Max. Thankfully, it proved popular enough for Warner Bros. to move ahead with the sequel which is sure to light up the box office when it drops in theaters on October 24 which will allow the creative team to fulfill its promise of introducing one of the most popular characters in the video games and past movie adaptations.
In a series of newly released photos for the sequel, Warner Bros has offered up our first look at Urban’s Johnny Cage whose introduction into the world of Mortal Kombat has been teased to be “ridiculously hilarious” with Mortal Kombat co-creator and head of gaming developer NetherRealm Studios Ed Boon teasing to Entertainment Weekly that the arrival of Johnny will play a major role in the film.
"His integration into the Mortal Kombat story and universe is a big part of what this movie explores. He's a washed-up Hollywood guy thrown into this magical, ultra-violent thing. Karl, his depiction of Johnny Cage is different than our 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."
We’re for sure picking up on some fish out of water, comedic energy in the first look photo of Urban’s Johnny Cage who seems a bit unsure as he strikes an action hero-esque pose as returning favorites Liu Kang (Ludi Lin), Jackson ‘Jax’ Briggs (Mehcad Brooks), and Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) watch on from behind him. Given the trio’s faces in the photo (featured above), we’re definitely thinking Johnny might be in over his head in the sequence behind the still, but don’t fret! Johnny isn’t about to become some one-note comedic character.
Director Simon McQuoid has assured fans that there will be “more depth” to the character as part of their efforts to strike a balance and prevent Johnny from becoming “completely silly.”
Of course, Johnny won’t be the only new character joining the ensemble for Mortal Kombat 2 which will introduce several new characters into the world alongside the returning characters from the first film. Among the new characters set to be introduced in this October’s sequel are Adeline Rudolph as Kitana, and Martyn Ford as Outworld overlord Shao Kahn, two characters we got first glimpses of in a pair of stunning new photos from the sequel:
Warner Bros. has offered up our first look at Hiroyuki Sanada back as Scorpion via a still that is sure to get fans hyped for what’s next for Sanada's character in the forthcoming sequel:
While the exact plot of the film has yet to be revealed, McQuoid promises that Mortal Kombat 2 will be “bigger” and “bolder” than its predecessor with many new faces joining the fan-favorite heroes and villains from the original film in what is sure to be one of 2025’s most epic films!