There’s been a lot of Johnny Cage over the last 48 hours. Following yesterday’s “Uncaged Cury” teaser, which served as a hilarious introduction to Johnny Cage and his legacy as a ‘90s action movie star, New Line Cinema has released the first official trailer for Mortal Kombat II, heading to theaters on October 24.
Unlike its 2021 predecessor, Mortal Kombat, which focuses heavily on the original character Cole Young and his familial ties to the Mortal Kombat world, the Mortal Kombat II trailer puts Johnny Cage’s cocky, yet endearing, Hollywood personality front and center. While we don’t know if this shift in character focus is indicative of the actual movie, getting to finally see Johnny Cage being portrayed by Karl Urban (The Boys) is a treat. Especially considering Johnny Cage, who’s one of the most recognizable characters in the entire video game franchise, missed out on the first movie.
Another welcomed shift that fans of the video games are sure to appreciate is the tournament action showcased in the new trailer. While the first Mortal Kombat film received generally favorable reviews, the fact that its story served more as a preamble to the legendary Mortal Kombat tournament was an unexpected approach. Seemingly ready to stop beating around the bush, the Mortal Kombat II trailer tees up the fate-deciding tournament with duels featuring several of Mortal Kombat’s unique cast of characters.
Returning from the first film are Cole Young (Lewis Tan), Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee), Lui Kang (Ludi Lin), Jax (Mehcad Brooks), Raiden (Tadanobu Asano), and some other familiar faces that are sure to surprise. In addition to Johnny Cage, new combatants entering the fray in Mortal Kombat II include Kitana (Adeline Rudolph), Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford), Sindel (Ana Thu Nguyen), and even Noob Saibot (Joe Taslim) gets the red band-trailer treatment from returning fighter, Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada).
Clearly, the tournament roster for Mortal Kombat II is stacked. Who knows who’ll end up showing up between now and October 24. We’ll keep you caught up with any updates.