Written By Kieran Bugg
Mortal Kombat sequel is reportedly eyeing The Boys star Karl Urban to portray key character Johnny Cage.
Karl Urban has built quite a career for himself over the years with multiple roles in various iconic franchises. Starting with Éomer in Peter Jackson’s universally acclaimed The Lord Of The Rings trilogy his star only grew brighter from there.
His next major pop culture role was Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot and its sequels. Following this, he would take on the titular role of Judge Dredd in the underrated 2012 comic book movie Dredd.
In addition, he’s also known for his supporting role in the MCU as Skurge The Executioner in Thor: Ragnarök. Moreover, he now stars as the foul-mouthed, superhero loathing vigilante Billy Butcher in Amazon Prime’s flagship TV series The Boys.
Mortal Kombat Sequel Eyeing Karl Urban For Johnny Cage
Image: Warner Bros. Discovery
According to a new report, Urban could be about to add another fan favourite franchise to his already impressive résumé. In 2021, Warner Bros. released a live action feature film based on the beloved video game series, Mortal Kombat.
The movie had been stuck in development hell for nearly twenty years before the studio got the ball rolling. Unfortunately, when Mortal Kombat was ready for release, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and the movie was dealt another critical blow.
While Mortal Kombat was still given a theatrical release, it was also simultaneously released on HBO Max. As expected, this greatly affected the movie’s performance at the box office.
Against a budget of $55 million, Mortal Kombat’s reported worldwide gross ended at $84.4 million. Furthermore, the critical reception for the movie was split down the middle with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 54%.
Nonetheless, the movie was still successful enough to warrant a sequel. With production set to commence very soon in Australia, casting reports are beginning to emerge.
The Wrap revealed that Karl Urban is in final talks to portray Johnny Cage in the upcoming sequel. The end of the first movie gave fans an exciting tease at the martial artist/Hollywood actor’s arrival.
Mortal Kombat Sequel Eyeing Karl Urban For Johnny Cage
Being a big name in pop culture, Karl Urban’s involvement in the Mortal Kombat sequel would undoubtedly generate hype.