The Boys’ Star Karl Urban Goes Full Cage in Mortal Kombat II

Karl Urban will trade in his coat of many furries from The Boys for a pair of Ray-Bans in the upcoming sequel, Mortal Kombat II. The Lord of the Rings and Star Trek alum will play fan-favorite, cocky, martial arts movie star Johnny Cage in the hotly anticipated continuation of the long-running video game series. Mortal Kombat II comes after Warner Bros.’ 2021 reboot and is the fourth live-action film in the series since the original’s release in 1995.

The trailer’s release date is a not-so-subtle marketing ploy—it dropped exactly one day after Warner Bros. released a fake, in-universe trailer for Uncaged Fury. That cheesy, ’90s-style action flick is “starring” Johnny Cage, and its trailer includes mock references to Cage’s other movie titles, including the terrible Cool Hand Cage, Hard to Cage, and Rebel Without a Cage.

2025 will also be the 30th anniversary of the first live-action Mortal Kombat. That film, which was a box office hit but a critical flop at the time of release, now has a cult following, and many fans point to Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa’s performance as the sorcerer Shang Tsung as definitive. Its sequel, 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, was a far greater failure, being panned by both critics and audiences, and Midway, the video game’s publisher, filed for bankruptcy not long after.

When Warner Bros. acquired the rights, the studio hired Simon McQuoid to direct a reboot more than two decades after the original film. The 2021 reboot introduces us to Lewis Tan’s Cole Young, an MMA fighter who gets caught in the middle of an inter-dimensional war for Earthrealm. Reviews were mixed, but audiences were generally kin, enough that the film’s success secured its sequel, again to be directed by McQuoid. The first film ended with Cole heading to Los Angeles to recruit Johnny Cage, which is what the sequel will pick up.

Familiar Faces, New Characters, and a Slightly Self-Aware Johnny Cage

The synopsis for Mortal Kombat II doesn’t bother to reintroduce its players. It assumes you’re coming to the film from the first installment. This time, the champions, now augmented by Cage, “square off in an all-out, no-holds-barred battle to save Earthrealm” from Shao Kahn’s invasion.

While several cast members from the 2021 film are back, including Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han/Noob Saibot (a.k.a. Sub-Zero), Tadanobu Asano as Lord Raiden, Josh Lawson as Kano, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Mehcad Brooks as Jax Briggs, Chin Han as Shang Tsung, Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion, and Max Huang as Kung Lao, the sequel also introduces some new fighters to the mix.

On the new roster is Adeline Rudolph as Kitana, Tati Gabrielle as Jade, Kabal’s voice actor Damon Herriman will play Quan Chi, Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn, CJ Bloomfield as Baraka, Desmond Chiam as King Jerrod, and Ana Thu Nguyen as Queen Sindel.

The film wastes no time in setting the tone for Cage, played with what looks to be some measure of self-awareness. The trailer opens in a dive bar where Cage is idly sitting at the bar, sipping a beer. He’s recognized by a regular patron who shouts, “Oh my god! I loved Citizen Cage as a kid! They should do a reboot!” The actor grimaces, clearly not enjoying his post-fame fall from grace. He responds with palpable bitterness, “Nobody wants that,” he says, “cause nobody goes to Cage flicks anymore. It was the ’90s.”

Enter Raiden and Sonya Blade, who cut the former martial arts star down from his perch. They inform Cage that “You have been chosen to fight.” Cage thinks that they are just really enthusiastic fans (they’re not) before he is whisked away and transported to an otherworldly fighting arena. “I’m here for what?” Cage asks, being shown what is described as a “fighting tournament to the death.” “F— that,” he says, immediately reluctant. Cage points out that he’s not exactly an augmented fighter because he can’t do the hand-to-hand teleportation or blast lightning from his fingers. “I’m just incredibly handsome,” he quips. He does, however, change his mind when he learns that the fate of an entire realm is on the line and immediately agrees to participate. “Please, don’t hurt my face,” he requests of his soon-to-be opponents.

From there, the trailer gives fans exactly what they’ve been salivating over for two decades—stylized blood splatter, iconic finishing moves, and even some familiar catchphrases. Scorpion, who will likely be a huge fan favorite, shouts his now-signature “Get over here!” of course.

Bathed in both spectacular gore and cringe-inducing humor, the new film looks like it could find an audience with fans of the franchise. If it can also find a way to broaden its appeal, it might be one of the biggest hits of the year. It certainly isn’t pulling any punches with its over-the-top antics.

Mortal Kombat II will premiere in theaters on October 24, 2025.