Karl Urban Debuts as Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2

Excitement is building as the next installment of the Mortal Kombat movie series approaches, and fans have been treated to a first glimpse of a new character: the iconic Johnny Cage, portrayed by Karl Urban, known for his roles in The Boys and Judge Dredd. Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon shared an eye-catching poster of Urban as Cage, styled to mimic a promotional poster for a fictitious Johnny Cage movie. The poster features two motorcycles dramatically leaping from flames, perfectly capturing the over-the-top flair of the character.

Mortal Kombat 2 serves as a direct sequel to the 2021 reboot, which introduced audiences to Lewis Tan's Cole Young, alongside Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion and Joe Taslim as Sub-Zero. The sequel brings fresh faces to the franchise, including Adeline Rudolph as Kitana, Tati Gabrielle as Jade, and Damon Herriman as Quan Chi, promising an expanded universe and new battles.

A fake movie poster for a Johnny Cage movie promoting the very real movie, Mortal Kombat 2. Credit: Warner Bros.

The original film revolved around Cole Young's journey into the world of Mortal Kombat, uncovering the violent history between Scorpion and Sub-Zero. While plot details for the sequel remain under wraps, the rich lore of the Mortal Kombat video game series offers ample material for the filmmakers to explore.

Originally planned for a theatrical release, the first Mortal Kombat movie was shifted to a direct-to-streaming debut on HBO Max due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, fans can look forward to experiencing Mortal Kombat 2 on the big screen, with its theatrical release scheduled for October 24, 2025.

Our review of the initial film awarded it a score of 7, praising it as a "spectacular display of blood, guts, and effects-heavy martial arts battles," setting high expectations for the sequel's action-packed spectacle.