According to Art Threat, Karl Urban has officially been cast as Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2, with the film locked in for a May 15 release date. The role — one of the most anticipated additions to the sequel — finally has a face, and it's one that action fans know well.
Why Johnny Cage Changes Everything
Johnny Cage was conspicuously absent from the 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot, a choice that frustrated longtime fans of the franchise. His inclusion in the sequel isn't just fan service — it fundamentally shifts the tone. Cage is the wisecracker, the Hollywood pretty-boy who's secretly one of the most dangerous fighters in the tournament. Getting that character right requires someone who can land a punchline and a roundhouse kick with equal conviction. Urban, who has spent years perfecting exactly that blend as Billy Butcher in The Boys and Judge Dredd in Dredd, is a genuinely intriguing choice. The casting also opens up a wave of new questions: who else is joining the roster? Which classic MK characters are still up for grabs?
What myCast Fans Have Been Saying
Here's where things get interesting. Across multiple fan-cast stories on myCast, the community has been dreaming up their ideal Mortal Kombat 2 rosters for years — and Karl Urban wasn't the consensus pick for Johnny Cage. In the Mortal Kombat 2 story, fans slotted Coco Martin into the role, while the broader Mortal Kombat story saw Tom Cruise rack up 4 votes for Cage — a pick that's very much in the "charming action star with a smirk" wheelhouse that Urban also occupies. So while fans didn't call this one by name, the archetype they were gravitating toward? Absolutely confirmed.
Beyond Cage, the myCast community has been busy filling out the rest of the sequel's roster, and some of those picks are genuinely compelling. In the main Mortal Kombat 2 story — which spans 90 roles — Braun Strowman has dominated the Kintaro vote with a commanding 43 votes, which honestly makes a lot of physical sense. Alan Ritchson leads for Stryker with 9 votes, tops the Rain poll with 10 votes, and — who actually appeared in the 2021 film — gets 6 votes for Shang Tsung. Over in the , fans have spread the love across the roster with picks like as Liu Kang, as Sonya, and as Jax. Notably, Peyton List also appears as Cassie Cage in — a role that could become very relevant now that her father is officially in the picture.