Fans of the iconic fighting game series, Mortal Kombat, have been eagerly awaiting news on the sequel to the 2021 reboot, and now, a first look at several new characters has been unveiled. Entertainment Weekly has shared images of Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn, and Adeline Rudolph as Kitana, with Hiroyuki Sanada reprising his role as Scorpion.
Karl Urban, known for his role as Billy Butcher in The Boys, has been a topic of curiosity among fans, especially after his image as Johnny Cage appeared in an in-universe poster for a Cage movie. The newly released image shows Urban embodying the character with Johnny Cage's trademark hair and sunglasses, striking a classic martial arts pose. In the background, we catch glimpses of Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, and Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade.
First looks at Johnny Cage, Shao Kahn, 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 published a quote from Mortal Kombat developer NetherRealm’s Ed Boon, who discussed 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's a washed-up Hollywood guy thrown into this magical, ultra-violent thing. Karl, his depiction of Johnny Cage is different than our games in some ways. He's adding his own flair to it, but I think it'll feel fresh. There's like a novelty factor in there."
Boon teased a "ridiculously hilarious" character introduction for Johnny Cage, while 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."
In addition to the new cast members, Entertainment Weekly 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.
Surprisingly, Damon Herriman (Better Man) will portray Quan Chi in Mortal Kombat 2, and Josh Lawson and Max Huang are set to return as Kano and Kung Lao, despite their characters meeting their end in the first film. Ed Boon explained this twist by referencing the lore of the Mortal Kombat games, which often bring characters back through supernatural means: "So we deal with spirits and the NetherRealm and things like that," he said. "There are ways to bring dead characters back."
Rounding out the cast, 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 scheduled to hit theaters on October 24, 2025.
