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Johnny Cage, Shao Khan, Kitana Debut in Mortal Kombat 2 Film

By PenelopeApr 21,2025

Fans of the Mortal Kombat franchise have been eagerly awaiting the sequel, and now they finally have a first look at several new characters set to appear in the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2 movie. Entertainment Weekly recently unveiled images of Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn, and Adeline Rudolph as Kitana, alongside the return of Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion.

The anticipation around Karl Urban's portrayal of Johnny Cage, especially after his image appeared on an in-universe poster for a Cage movie, has been immense. Urban, known for his role as Billy Butcher in The Boys, brings a fresh-faced look to Cage, complete with the character's trademark hair and sunglasses, striking a typical martial arts pose. The background of the image features returning cast members Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, and Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade.

First looks at Johnny Cage, Shao Khan, Kitana and Scorpion in Mortal Kombat 2 film:

Karl Urban ➡️ Johnny Cage
Martyn Ford ➡️ Shao Kahn
Adeline Rudolph ➡️ Kitana
Hiroyuki Sanada reprises as Scorpion

Via: https://t.co/1CHXzLhFGK#MortalKombat2 pic.twitter.com/7ifeMHzhC6 — Shinobi602 (@shinobi602) March 17, 2025

Entertainment Weekly also featured a quote from Ed Boon, the developer at NetherRealm Studios, discussing Johnny Cage's role in the sequel. "His integration into the Mortal Kombat story and universe is a big part of what this movie explores," Boon stated. He emphasized that Cage, portrayed as a washed-up Hollywood star thrust into a world of magic and ultra-violence, would be a unique take thanks to Urban's interpretation. "Karl, his depiction of Johnny Cage is different than our games in some ways. He's adding his own flare to it, but I think it'll feel fresh. There's like a novelty factor in there."

Boon teased that Johnny Cage's introduction would be "ridiculously hilarious." Director Simon McQuoid added, "We wanted a character that wasn't just completely silly, comic book… It's a character that could instantly go there and become too light and throwaway if we were to lean too much into the kind of cheese. The casting of Karl Urban for that role allowed that character to have more depth."

Entertainment Weekly also confirmed that movie-accurate skins for Urban's Johnny Cage, Rudolph's Kitana, and Ford's Shao Kahn will be available in Mortal Kombat 1 later this year.

In other casting news, Damon Herriman (Better Man) will portray Quan Chi, while Josh Lawson and Max Huang reprise their roles as Kano and Kung Lao, despite their characters' demise in the first film. Boon explained that the flexible nature of Mortal Kombat's lore, which often deals with spirits and the NetherRealm, allows for the return of dead characters: "So we deal with spirits and the NetherRealm and things like that," he said. "There are ways to bring dead characters back."

Finally, Tati Gabrielle (The Last of Us Season 2) will play Jade, and Ana Thu Nguyen (NCIS: Sydney) will portray Queen Sindel. Mortal Kombat 2 is set to hit theaters on October 24, 2025.

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