Summary

• Johnny Cage's absence in the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie was a surprising story decision explained by the producers.
• Karl Urban will portray Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2, aiming to rectify the absence of the iconic character in the franchise.
• Mortal Kombat 2 is expected to see Johnny Cage ing the Earthrealm champions to prepare for the tournament, tapping into his powers.

Johnny Cage didn't appear in 2021's Mortal Kombat reboot movie, and here's why the character was surprisingly absent from the film. Johnny Cage is one of Mortal Kombat's most iconic characters, with him often being held up as the protagonist of the video game franchise. Because of this, it was shocking that the character wasn't in the first film of the new movie series at all, as he seems important to establishing the franchise in live-action. However, there is a reason that Johnny Cage wasn't in the film, with him being seriously missed in 2021's Mortal Kombat.

The 2021 Mortal Kombat movie took the live-action movie franchise and started from scratch, restarting the series from the ground up after the failures of Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Luckily, 2021's Mortal Kombat was a massive success, with it being a hit with fans. Because of this, Mortal Kombat 2 was greenlit shortly after the release of the first film, with the movie promising to add even more elements from the video game franchise. Johnny Cage is one of the characters set to appear in the sequel, reminding many viewers that he wasn't in the first film at all.

Johnny Cage’s Absence From Mortal Kombat (2021) Was A Story Decision

Here's Why He Was Gone

Johnny Cage's absence from Mortal Kombat (2021) was a surprising one, but it has actually been explained as a story decision. According to producer Todd Garner, the team behind 2021's Mortal Kombat had a very specific story that they wanted to tell when writing the film, and Johnny Cage just didn't fit into that narrative. The writers wanted a character like Cole Young who could be fully manipulated without having to worry about upsetting fans, and Johnny Cage's decades of lore seemed like too much for the 2021 movie (via Inverse).

In the same interview with Inverse, Garner explained that another problem with Johnny Cage existed on top of these story problems. According to the producer, the team behind the film felt weird making a white man be the lead of a film with a heavily diverse cast, with the franchise being inspired by martial arts from all around the world. The team thought that Cole Young would be a better pick, with Cole Young's relationship to Scorpion integrating him into the film despite him being an original champion made for the movie.

Cole Young “Replaced” Johnny Cage’s Role In Mortal Kombat

Was This A Good Decision?

Although Johnny Cage is typically seen as the protagonist of Mortal Kombat, he was somewhat replaced by Cole Young in the 2021 film. Much like Johnny Cage, Cole Young was the everyman that Mortal Kombat audience could relate to, with his outsider perspective on the world of Mortal Kombat allowing audiences to follow along on the journey with him. While both characters could serve this purpose, only one was needed for the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, with the writers deciding to go with Cole Young.

Why Johnny Cage’s Absence From Mortal Kombat (2021) Was Criticized

Cole Young Contributed To This

Johnny Cage's absence from the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie was one of the most heavily pointed-out flaws of the film, with many fans being upset that the Mortal Kombat champion would be absent from the film. Some viewers felt like having a Mortal Kombat movie without Johnny Cage would be like having a Street Fighter movie without Ryu or a Super Smash Bros. movie without Mario. Johnny Cage is such a staple of the franchise that excluding him from the film entirely was an incredibly odd choice, even if he is coming back in the sequel.

On top of that, the character of Cole Young was another point of criticism in Mortal Kombat. Cole Young was seen as a more boring version of Johnny Cage, with him losing a lot of the charm of the Mortal Kombat protagonist. Some fans were so upset about the character change that they even suggested that Mortal Kombat 2 should abandon Cole Young's story in favor of a video game character. Centering on an original character in an adaptation is always a risky move, and Mortal Kombat saw the amount of backlash that was the product of Johnny Cage's absence.

Karl Urban Will Play Johnny Cage In Mortal Kombat 2

Adding The Character To The Live-Action Series

Although Johnny Cage was absent from the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, he will finally be making his debut in the modern movie series in Mortal Kombat 2. Mortal Kombat 2 will see The Boys star Karl Urban play Johnny Cage, with him bringing the iconic champion of Earthrealm back for the live-action movie series. While he was absent from the 2021 film, Mortal Kombat 2 is attempting to fix this, hopefully finally giving Johnny Cage the proper adaptation that he deserves.

Karl Urban is a perfect casting choice for Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2, as his previous roles set him up to be a fantastic Cage. Roles like Billy Butcher show that Karl Urban is able to play someone who maintains a cool head in the face of chaos, something that is needed for Johnny Cage. Plus, Urban's history with shows like The Boys proves that the actor knows how to handle violence. For a franchise like Mortal Kombat, this is essential, proving that Karl Urban is well-suited for the role of the franchise's protagonist.

What To Expect From Johnny Cage In Mortal Kombat 2

What Will The Character Be Doing?

Although details on the sequel are still slim, here is what to expect from Karl Urban's Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2. 2021's Mortal Kombat ends with Cole Young and the other fighters heading off to track down movie star Johnny Cage, believing that he is one of the Earthrealm champions. The movie will probably start out with Cole and the gang finding Johnny and enlisting him, attempting to explain that he is one of the chosen champions of Earthrealm.

Mortal Kombat 2 will probably see Johnny Cage Cole and his friends as they prepare for the true Mortal Kombat tournament. Johnny Cage will probably be a big help when it comes to actually winning the tournament, although the character's fighting skills from the movies haven't been explored yet. However, Johnny Cage will most likely be able to tap into the powers of Arcana, meaning that he should be able to hold his own in a fight against the other champions when the Mortal Kombat sequel finally releases.