Karl Urban reportedly to play Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2
Whispers out of Tinseltown are suggesting that Karl Urban is in final talks with New Line to portray arrogant Hollywood star Johnny Cage in the studio’s upcoming sequel to 2021’s Mortal Kombat.
According to TheWrap, Urban, perhaps best known for playing the titular role in the excellent Dredd (2012), as well as portraying Billy Butcher in the smash hit Amazon show The Boys, is rumored to be on the cusp of accepting the role, which will see him don the wraparound shades of one of the most well-known and grudgingly beloved characters in the Mortal Kombat franchise. Johnny Cage, as fans will know, is depicted as a martial arts expert with an ego a mile wide and a line in smart-arse dialogue.
Would Urban be suited to the role? Well, he certainly has the acting chops and the physical presence for the role, but he’s most definitely a little rugged and rough around the edges to portray the whitened-teeth smugness of our man Cage. Urban is a clear Kano, but that role was taken up (ably, I might add) by Josh Lawson in the original film. Personally, I’d like to see Urban adapt the role of Cage, presenting a former martial arts A-lister who has somewhat lost his way, but is still fully convinced that he’s the best actor/fighter on the block… Basically, a sort of a satire of modern-day Steven Seagal.
Mortal Kombat 2 is expected to commence shooting presently, helmed by returning director Simon McQuoid. The original film, while a little campy, was good, harmless fun, and featured some pretty flashy martial arts sequences and a spirited sense of humor. The addition of Johnny Cage could, by default, make him the protagonist of the piece, so I’m not sure where that would leave MK‘s Original Character Do Not Steal Cole Young.
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