Johnny Cage is coming to Mortal Kombat 2, and the sequel already has the perfect way to introduce the fan-favorite character after Mortal Kombat skipped him. The upcoming Mortal Kombat 2 is expected to improve upon the 2021 reboot, including by finally bringing Cage into the story. Despite his popularity and importance in both the games and other adaptations, Johnny Cage was not in Mortal Kombat (2021), the first theatrical MK film since 1997.
Karl Urban recently joined the cast of Mortal Kombat 2 as Johnny Cage, an inspired casting choice that hits at how important the character will be in the sequel. There are plenty of ways to integrate Johnny Cage into the already-established world of Mortal Kombat, although the outsider trope has already been used with Cole Young. In fact, the similarities between Young and Cage, plus how Mortal Kombat 2021 ended, set the stage for a perfect introduction to Johnny Cage.
Mortal Kombat’s Ending Sets Up A Cole Young Vs. Johnny Cage Fight
Mortal Kombat (2021) ends with Cole Young getting ready to look for Johnny Cage, a Hollywood actor who, most likely, also has the dragon mark. The sequel hood at the end of the 2021 reboot was more than necessary, as the film skipped Johnny Cage entirely. Considering that Johnny Cage hasn’t had a proper role in a live-action Mortal Kombat film since 1995 – he was killed off right at the beginning of Annihilation – Mortal Kombat 2 cannot waste time with the character. Giving Cage a fun fight scene right at the beginning of the sequel is a good idea, and Cole Young is the perfect match.
Mortal Kombat 2’s Johnny Cage Flips Annihilation’s Opening Scene 26 Years After The Worst Mortal Kombat Movie
26 years after the worst movie in the Mortal Kombat franchise, Mortal Kombat 2 is poised to flip Johnny Cage’s role in the 1997 disaster.
It is difficult not to perceive Cole Young as Johnny Cage’s replacement in Mortal Kombat (2021), especially because of how similar the former’s role in the story was to the latter’s story in the games. When it comes to Mortal Kombat origin stories, Johnny Cage is usually the outsider, an undergod fighter who has no idea what is going on and does not take Mortal Kombat seriously at first. As such, there is already a “rivalry” between Cole Young and Johnny Cage, even though the characters have never actually met. Cole trying to recruit Johnny is the perfect setup for a fight between them, even if a brief one.
Why Cole Young Vs. Johnny Cage Shouldn’t Be A Serious Mortal Kombat Fight
Of course, a fight between Young and Cage right at the start of Mortal Kombat 2 should not be a serious, high-stakes combat. There should not be an actual Mortal Kombat match between Johnny Cage and Cole Young, as that would limit the trajectory of both of their stories. As much as there is a behind-the-scenes rivalry between the characters given how Cole replaced Johnny Cage in the first film, those elements should not be incorporated as an actual plot point in Mortal Kombat 2. A more comic fight between them when Cole is trying to recruit Johnny would be fun, meta, and a good way to kick off the sequel.
Mortal Kombat 2
- Director
- Simon McQuoid
- Rating
- R
- Genres
- Action , Horror , Martial Arts , Supernatural
- Writers
- Jeremy Slater
