Johnny Cage will finally make his screen debut in Mortal Kombat 2, the relaunched movie franchise. However, given the decisions made regarding the new protagonist of the series, the fan favorite’s introduction may not go as smoothly as it could have. The Mortal Kombat movie from 2021 got mostly negative reviews, which was partly because some of the creative choices made when adapting the video games into a movie were somewhat bold. The film included new elements to the canon that weren’t in the original work, such Mortal Kombat’s Arcana powers. Mortal Kombat’s past could have a negative effect on its future, especially with a sequel in the works.

Mortal Kombat’s Cole Young was an original character developed especially for the 2021 movie. Cole’s golden armor and Arcana powers are loosely based on established lore, but they did take some creative liberties. The decision to have a new character lead the Mortal Kombat reboot has been criticized, with many believing a pre-existing figure from the Mortal Kombat universe would have been a better option. Thankfully, the Mortal Kombat 2 cast brings Karl Urban into the fold to embody the legendary Johnny Cage. What remains to be seen is whether it’s too little too late.