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

Mortal Kombat 2 offers a first look at several new characters joining the sequel's cast. Entertainment Weekly unveiled images of Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn, and Adeline Rudolph as Kitana, alongside the returning Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion.

Fans have eagerly anticipated Karl Urban's portrayal of the egocentric Hollywood star, Johnny Cage, following his appearance in an in-universe movie poster. The image shows Urban embodying Cage's signature look—a fresh face, trademark hair, and sunglasses—in a classic martial arts pose. The background features returning cast members Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Mehcad Brooks as Jax, and Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade.

First looks at Johnny Cage, Shao Kahn, Kitana and Scorpion in Mortal Kombat 2 film:

Karl Urban ➡️ Johnny Cage
Martyn Ford ➡️ Shao Kahn
Adeline Rudolph ➡️ Kitana
Hiroyuki Sanada reprises as Scorpion

Via: https://t.co/1CHXzLhFGK#MortalKombat2 pic.twitter.com/7ifeMHzhC6

— Shinobi602 (@shinobi602) March 17, 2025

Mortal Kombat creator Ed Boon commented on Johnny Cage's inclusion, stating, "His integration into the Mortal Kombat story and universe is a big part of what this movie explores. He's a washed-up Hollywood guy thrown into this magical, ultra-violent thing. 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 Cage. Director Simon McQuoid added, "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 confirmed that movie-accurate skins for Urban's Johnny Cage, Rudolph's Kitana, and Ford's Shao Kahn will be added to Mortal Kombat 1 later this year.

Damon Herriman (Better Man) joins the cast as Quan Chi. Surprisingly, Josh Lawson and Max Huang return as Kano and Kung Lao, despite their demise in the first film. Boon explained this by referencing the game's lore: "So we deal with spirits and the NetherRealm and things like that," he said. "There are ways to bring dead characters back."

Tati Gabrielle (The Last of Us Season 2) plays Jade, and Ana Thu Nguyen (NCIS: Sydney) portrays Queen Sindel. Mortal Kombat 2 is slated for release on October 24, 2025.