WWE superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin broke his silence about not being cast as Johnny Cage in the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2, revealing that while he may be disappointed, he’s still excited to see Karl Urban’s take on the character.
Per ComicBook, when asked about his thoughts on Johnny Cage in the highly-anticipated sequel, Mizanin revealed his excitement to potentially play the role of the actor-turned-warrior. “I remember calling my agent and going, ‘Dude, I want this. I don’t know what I have to do. Call whoever you have to call. I want this bad.’ And then I’ll even say, I even put a campaign,” Mizanin explained. “I went out on every interview and every time someone asked me about this question, I would say, ‘I want to be Johnny Cage. I want to be Johnny Cage.'” Despite his passion for the character, the part ultimately went to Urban, a pop culture staple known for his roles in Dredd, The Lord of the Rings and The Boys.
While Mizanin may have been disheartened by the news, he did note that he bears no ill will towards Urban. “I heard Karl Urban got it, and I was like, ‘Wow.’ And people were like, ‘Are you mad? Are you angry?’ And it’s like, I never get mad or angry when someone else gets a part that I want,” he said. “I am fully supportive of a person getting… I imagine they’re going to work as hard as I will work to make sure that that character is honed in, locked in, and is the character that the audience wants and loves.” Mizanin concluded by stating that while he’s “heartbroken” about not playing Johnny Cage, it’s the nature of Hollywood, noting that he’s learned to accept both the peaks and the valleys.
Mortal Kombat 2’s Expanded Cast
Details on Johnny Cage’s role in Mortal Kombat 2 are still largely unknown but the conclusion of the original film suggests that protagonist Cole Young will be heading to Los Angeles to track down the action movie star and request his help in protecting the world. The beloved character isn’t the only newcomer to the rebooted Mortal Kombat film franchise as the sequel will also introduce a wealth of familiar faces including Quan-Chi, Baraka, Jade, Kitana and main antagonist Shao Kahn.
Mortal Kombat 2 does not yet have a release date.
Source: ComicBook