The Mortal Kombat 2 Champion Keanu Reeves Should Play (Not Johnny Cage)

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While early casting talk surrounding Mortal Kombat 2 centers on Johnny Cage, there is one other champion Keanu Reeves should play. As of January 26, 2022, Warner Bros. has officially greenlit a sequel to the 2021 streaming hit Mortal Kombat, with Death Note's Jeremy Slater set to pen the screenplay. As a direct continuation of Mortal Kombat 2021's story, Mortal Kombat 2 will introduce many classic characters teased in the first film to make their debuts, such as Johnny Cage, Shao Kahn, and Kitana.

Much of Mortal Kombat 2's casting debate has centered on the character of Johnny Cage, whose movie poster glimpsed at the end of Mortal Kombat 2021 confirms his presence in the upcoming sequel. WWE superstar The Miz has put forth his name for the vacant role via Twitter, with Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon subsequently backing the professional wrestler's casting bid. Other big-name candidates mentioned in early 2022 to play Johnny Cage are This Is Us' Justin Hartley and Westworld's James Marsden, highlighting the spike in popularity the Mortal Kombat franchise has seen in the wake of Mortal Kombat 2021's success. This newfound popularity has also led to other prominent actors joining the Mortal Kombat 2 discourse, with The Matrix star Keanu Reeves stating in an Esquire interview that "Mortal Kombat is awesome in so many ways..."

Related: Mortal Kombat 2: Quan Chi Is The Villain The Sequel Deserves (Not Shao Kahn)

As a result, The Mortal Kombat 2 champion Keanu Reeves should play is Kenshi Takahashi, not Johnny Cage. Reeves has already taken on prior roles similar to the telekinetic swordmaster's demeanor, with his portrayal of a blinded near-omnipotent Neo in The Matrix Revolutions immediately drawing parallels to Kenshi.