Karl Urban is adding another notch to his already-stuffed pop culture belt as he joins the cast of Mortal Kombat 2 in the role of the iconic fighter Johnny Cage.
Revealed on Twitter by franchise co-creator Ed Boon, Urban is joining the sequel in a part that was teased in the final moments of the original film. While details on his character are still largely unknown, the image shared, which includes a reference to both The Shining and one of Johnny Cage’s Fatalities in Mortal Kombat X, may reveal the character’s costume. Urban is sporting a pair of large shades, an accessory that has become synonymous with Johnny Cage and his cocky attitude.
How the actor-turned-hero will factor into the plot of Mortal Kombat 2 remains unknown but Urban will have plenty of villains to battle during his time on the sequel. The film, which recently entered production, includes the likes of Baraka, Shao Kahn and Quan Chi, all of whom are working together in an attempt to conquer and enslave Outworld.
A Very Different Johnny Cage
While Johnny Cage may have been heavily foreshadowed in Mortal Kombat, the scene in question was almost very different due but was ultimately changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Writer Greg Russo revealed that the poster which teased Cole’s trip to find the actor was initially intended to be an early Easter egg while the final scene would have seen the protagonist heading out to Los Angeles. “I remember there was a version for the end where they actually went to the lot,” Russo said. “So Cole and Sonya went to the studio lot. I forget what it even was, they pulled up, and they were going to the meeting. It was gonna be shot at Warner Bros. But it just felt like, with the pandemic and everything, it got to a point where it was hard to do a lot of that.”
Mortal Kombat tells the story of Cole Young, an MMA fighter who is embroiled in a world of fantasy and violence when he becomes the target of an ancient warrior known as Sub-Zero. To stand against his foe, he trains with the likes of fearsome fighters such as Liu Kang, Kung Lao, Kano and Sonya Blade in a bid to harness an ancient power that’s been passed down to him from his ancestors.
Mortal Kombat 2 does not currently have a release date.
Source: Twitter