Mortal Kombat’s (2021) biggest sequel hook was the Johnny Cage tease, but the character’s Mortal Kombat 2 story may have already been doomed. At the end of Mortal Kombat, it’s revealed through a poster on the wall that Cole Young is heading to Hollywood to recruit an actor known as Johnny Cage. For those who were already familiar with the franchise, Mortal Kombat’s final scene promised the eventual appearance of Johnny Cage, one of the original characters from the first Mortal Kombat game and one of the most important names in the series.
Cage’s absence in the first film had already been a point of controversy. The announcement that the Hollywood B-movie star wouldn’t be in Mortal Kombat took many by surprise and placed a question mark as to where the story of the movie would go. An original character created for the 2021 movie, Cole Young was intended to complete the team of Earthrealm warriors. In the meantime, there was no mention of Cage until the end of the film. The strategy of saving a character as important as Johhny Cage for the Mortal Kombat sequel is interesting, but Mortal Kombat already ruined part of Johnny Cage’s potential.
Johnny Cage’s core character trait in most of the Mortal Kombat games and adaptations is being the outsider in the fantastic world of Mortal Kombat. He is the one who just happened to be at the right place at the right time, he isn’t well regarded by other Earthrealm warriors, and he’s typically slow to start believing in Raiden’s lessons. However, in Mortal Kombat, it’s suggested that Johnny Cage already is a “chosen one” who has been given the mark of the dragon, thus explaining why Cole is looking for him. That means Mortal Kombat 2’s Johnny Cage can’t be the same outcast nonbeliever he has been in other versions. Instead of joining the fight by accident or fate, this version of Cage will be recruited by Mortal Kombat‘s Cole Young and will probably get briefed from the start about what the mark and the tournament mean. That might seem like a minor change, but it’s one that completely shifts Johnny Cage’s story and forgets what makes the character special.
Not only that but the outsider role in Mortal Kombat was already given to Cole Young. Despite being a descendant of Scorpion, Cole had no idea of his family background and of what Mortal Kombat was. Cole essentially served as the guide for audiences who weren’t familiar with the world of Mortal Kombat, a role that usually belongs to Johnny Cage in the games and other adaptations. Given how Mortal Kombat 2 won’t have to introduce the basic concepts of Mortal Kombat, it would be redundant to play that same trick, meaning that yet another important part of Johnny Cage’s character won’t be present in the sequel.
Johnny Cage could’ve been Mortal Kombat 2‘s best new addition, but thanks to what has already been established in Mortal Kombat, the sequel can’t possibly feature what’s the best about the character. Johnny Cage’s distinct personality will most likely still be there, but it would be difficult to integrate it into a story where Cage has already been chosen as an Earthrealm champion. It remains to see if what Mortal Kombat 2 has in storage from Johnny Cage can work at least in the context of the movies.
