Karl Urban is in final talks to star as fan-favorite character “Johnny Cage” in the sequel to New Line’s hit 2021 action adventure “Mortal Kombat” based on the blockbuster video-game franchise.
Simon McQuoid, who directed the 2021 film, is set to return. Jeremy Slater (“Moon Knight,” “The Umbrella Academy”) wrote the screenplay for the sequel.
The previous film was a new adaptation of the popular video-game franchise that offered a grittier, more violent take on the material than the 1990s films. It was released in April 2021 in theaters and on HBO Max, and was an early pandemic hit for distributor Warner Bros., ranking as one of the top feature titles on HBO Max since the streaming service debuted.
“Mortal Kombat” is based on the global video-game phenomenon created by Ed Boon and John Tobias.
A postcredits scene in the 2021 film teased the inclusion of Johnny Cage in the sequel. The cast included Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Jessica MacNamee as Sonya Blade and Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion.
Cage was introduced in the first “Mortal Kombat” arcade game in 1992 and has since become a central character in the series, alongside other fan favorites such as Raiden and Liu Kang. Cage is depicted as an action movie star with an extensive martial arts background. He is often characterized as a swashbuckling, Hollywood fighting movie star who places great importance on his image and consistently behaves in a cool manner.
In the “Mortal Kombat” series, Cage is one of the primary heroes defending Earthrealm from various threats, and he is known for his signature moves and fatalities. In later installments of the series, Cage’s role was passed down to his daughter, Cassie Cage.
“Mortal Kombat 2” will be produced by Atomic Monster’s James Wan, Broken Road Production’s Todd Garner, Simon McQuoid and E. Bennett Walsh.
Urban is currently starring in Amazon’s hit series “The Boys.” He can previously be seen as “Skurge” in Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok” alongside Chris Hemsworth, Cate Blanchett and Mark Ruffalo.
Urban is best known for playing “Dr. Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy” in “Star Trek” and “Star Trek: Into Darkness” and “Éomer” in the second and third installments of Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the RIngs.” Urban was seen recently in “Star Trek Beyond” and Disney’s “Pete’s Dragon” as well as voicing the lead role in the Oscar nominated animated film “The Sea Beast.”
Urban is repped by UTA.