First Look at Johnny Cage, Shao Khan, and Kitana in Mortal Kombat 2 Movie

Fans of the iconic fighting game series have been eagerly awaiting news on the upcoming sequel to the 2021 Mortal Kombat film, and Entertainment Weekly has finally given us a first look at several new characters set to appear in Mortal Kombat 2. The images showcase Karl Urban as the fan-favorite Johnny Cage, Martyn Ford as the formidable Shao Kahn, and Adeline Rudolph as the graceful Kitana, alongside the return of Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion.

Karl Urban, known for his role as Billy Butcher in The Boys, has been a topic of much speculation among fans curious to see how he would embody Johnny Cage, the egocentric Hollywood star known for his trademark hair and sunglasses. The newly released image captures Urban in a classic martial arts pose, with Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, and Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade visible in the background.

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

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Ed Boon, the co-creator of the Mortal Kombat series from NetherRealm Studios, shared his thoughts with Entertainment Weekly on 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 described Johnny Cage as a "washed-up Hollywood guy thrown into this magical, ultra-violent thing," and praised Urban for bringing a fresh take on the character. "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 a "ridiculously hilarious" character introduction for Johnny Cage, while director Simon McQuoid emphasized the balance they aimed to strike with the character. "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, bridging the gap between the game and the film.

Adding to the excitement, Damon Herriman will portray Quan Chi, while Josh Lawson and Max Huang make a surprising return as Kano and Kung Lao, despite their characters' demise in the first film. Boon explained how this is possible within the Mortal Kombat universe: "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 new cast members are Tati Gabrielle as Jade and Ana Thu Nguyen as Queen Sindel. Mortal Kombat 2 is set to hit theaters on October 24, 2025, promising fans an action-packed continuation of the beloved franchise.