First Look at Mortal Kombat II with Karl Urban as Johnny Cage

Karl Urban is trading in The Boys’ Butcher’s greatcoat for some stylish shades in the upcoming Mortal Kombat II. The Lord of the Rings and Star Trek: Discovery actor is stepping into the goggles as Johnny Cage, the dimpled, blonde martial arts movie star who’s long been a fan favorite from the popular video game series. The sequel to Warner Bros.’ 2021 reboot follows Mortal Kombat, which was released in 1995 and spawned four more live-action sequels in the series’ 30-year film history.

The trailer’s release timing is a bit of a shrewd marketing ploy, arriving just one day after Warner Bros. released a fake in-universe trailer for Uncaged Fury, an ’80s- and ’90s-style cheesy action film that “stars” Cage, complete with winks to some of the other fictional flicks he’s been in, like Cool Hand Cage, Hard to Cage, and Rebel Without a Cage.

2025 also coincides with the 30th anniversary of the first live-action Mortal Kombat, which was a critical flop in theaters but a box office hit and has since found a loyal cult fan base. Cary Hiroyuki Tagawa’s take on the sorcerer Shang Tsung is still held in high regard by fans, many of whom still consider him the definitive version of the character. The franchise’s direct sequel, 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, was even more of a bomb on both fronts, with the film’s critical and commercial failure following soon after by game publisher Midway’s bankruptcy.

By the time Warner Bros. bought the rights, Simon McQuoid was brought on to direct the reboot some two decades later. That 2021 film introduced audiences to Lewis Tan as Cole Young, an MMA fighter who becomes embroiled in a battle to save Earthrealm. The mixed reviews couldn’t keep the movie from finding success in theaters to warrant a follow-up, which McQuoid will again helm. The first installment’s cliffhanger had Cole off to Los Angeles to recruit Johnny Cage, so the sequel sets up with his arrival.

The official Mortal Kombat II synopsis assumes that audiences are at least somewhat familiar with its predecessor, so this time around, Cage joins the other champions in the free-for-all brawl to keep Shao Kahn from conquering the Earthrealm. If that doesn’t work, the universe they all know and love will cease to exist.

Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han/Noob Saibot (also known as 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 are all returning for the sequel.

Adeline Rudolph is Kitana, Tati Gabrielle is Jade, Damon Herriman, who voices the character Kabal in the last film, is now Quan Chi, Martyn Ford is Shao Kahn, CJ Bloomfield is Baraka, Desmond Chiam is King Jerrod, and Ana Thu Nguyen is Queen Sindel.

The first taste of the film is a self-aware but still campy introduction to Cage. In a scene set in a grimy bar, he’s approached by an overly excited fan who recognizes him. “I loved Citizen Cage as a kid,” the fan tells him. “They should do a reboot!” He’s cut off by Cage’s bitter reply that “nobody wants that” because no one cares about those kinds of movies since the ’90s.

Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) and Sonya (Jessica McNamee) arrive to break the news to Cage that “You have been chosen to fight.” He brushes them off, initially thinking they’re just two superfans, but he’s soon whisked away to an interdimensional coliseum for what is described as a “fighting tournament to the death.” “F— that,” Cage deadpans in response. He also points out that, unlike other fighters, he’s not blessed with any special powers or otherworldly training: “I’m just incredibly handsome.” He reluctantly reconsiders, however, when he’s informed that Earthrealm is at stake. He does have one request of the other fighters, though: “Try not to damage my face, please.”

The trailer doesn’t veer far from the source material or even previous films from there. Audiences can expect plenty of the hyper-stylized, gruesome violence and signature fatality moves the games (and many of the movies) are known for, and catchphrases, like Scorpion’s “Get over here!”

It will be interesting to see whether Mortal Kombat II is as self-aware as the trailer seems to indicate, as past film attempts have struggled with balancing the series’s over-the-top violence and fantastical premise with some semblance of comedy. It remains to be seen if this sequel will be able to find success both with diehard fans and among moviegoers in general, but it won’t be for lack of trying.

Mortal Kombat II is set to premiere on October 24, 2025.