{"id":1908894,"date":"2026-04-29T12:12:47","date_gmt":"2026-04-29T09:12:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1908894"},"modified":"2026-04-29T12:12:47","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T09:12:47","slug":"karl-urbans-sons-reacted-to-the-news-he-had-been-cast-as-johnny-cage-in-mortal-kombat-2-with-a-few-simple-but-direct-words","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1908894","title":{"rendered":"Karl Urban&#8217;s Sons Reacted to the News He Had Been Cast as Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2 With a Few Simple, but Direct, Words"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-cy=\"article-content\" class=\"jsx-2870106660 article-content page-0\">\n<section data-cy=\"article-subtitle\" class=\"article jsx-3932497636 article-section jsx-28683165 news\" data-autopogo=\"true\">\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The casting of Karl Urban as Mortal Kombat fan favorite Johnny Cage certainly raised a few eyebrows among the fighting game\u2019s community when it was announced. Urban didn\u2019t feel like an obvious choice as the washed up martial arts movie star turned Earth\u2019s last hope for survival. But as we\u2019ve seen more of Urban\u2019s take on the character via photos and trailers, sentiment has turned around, to the point where now, just a few days before Mortal Kombat 2 hits theaters, there\u2019s a genuine sense of anticipation about the Lord of the Rings star\u2019s take.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Still, taking on Johnny Cage means you\u2019re taking on the might of the Mortal Kombat community, and with that comes an enormous amount of pressure. It turns out, Urban felt that pressure right from the off: from his own two sons.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Speaking during a press conference attended by IGN, Urban revealed the straightforward response he got from his family when he told them the news.<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">Who&#8217;s Who in Mortal Kombat 2<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Here's a quick look at who's who in Mortal Kombat 2!\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"NEW CHARACTERS&lt;p&gt;\nKarl Urban as Johnny Cage&lt;p&gt;\n\nJohnny Cage was probably the most significant MK character not to appear in the 2021 movie. Fortunately, the sequel looks to be making up for lost time. All signs point to Karl Urban\u2019s Cage being the central protagonist of Mortal Kombat 2, perhaps even pushing Tan\u2019s Cole Young into a secondary role (we\u2019ll get to him in a minute).&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nUrban\u2019s Cage is introduced in a way that will be familiar to fans of the franchise. He\u2019s played as a middle-aged, washed-up action hero long past his moviemaking prime and the days of box office hits like Uncaged Fury. (Warner Bros. even released a fake trailer for Uncaged Fury this week too.) But unlike most Hollywood action stars, Johnny actually has the moves to back up his bravado. That\u2019ll come in handy as he\u2019s reluctantly drawn into the conflict between Earthrealm and Outworld.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\n\u201cWe start him at a very low point,\u201d Urban told IGN. \u201cHis career is completely in the dumps. He has no self-confidence. He has neglected his martial arts training. And at his lowest point, he gets called up to, essentially, be a warrior that represents the Earthrealm and fight for the very future of humanity. And as I read the script, I found it just such a compelling, interesting, dynamic journey. We start this character in one place, and as an audience, we get to see him evolve and grow.\u201d&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nWe also see a shot of Cage flirting with Jessica McNamee\u2019s Sonya Blade in the trailer. That\u2019s significant, as in the games their romance eventually results in a daughter named Cassie Cage, a very formidable fighter in her own right.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nCage was first played by Linden Ashby in the 1995 movie. The character also appeared in the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy, played by Matt Mullins in Season 1 and Starship Troopers' Casper Van Dien in Season 2.\n\n\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 19 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Adeline Rudolph as Kitana&lt;p&gt;\n\nAnother fan-favorite hero is joining the cast in MK2, as Adeline Rudolph plays the steel fan-wielding Kitana. In the games, Kitana is the princess of Edenia, the daughter of Queen Sindel, and a love interest for Liu Kang. She\u2019s also one of the most important figures in the fight to stop Outworld from conquering all of reality. We don\u2019t get the impression any of that will be changing for Mortal Kombat 2, though with a cast this large, we\u2019ll see if there\u2019s much room to build a romance between Kitana and Liu.  &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nKitana was originally played by Talisa Soto in the 1995 movie, while Samantha Jo played Kitana on both seasons of Mortal Kombat: Legacy.\n\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tati Gabrielle as Jade&lt;p&gt;\n\nThe masked bo staff expert Jade will now be portrayed by Chilling Adventures of Sabrina\u2019s Tati Gabrielle. In the games, Jade is Kitana\u2019s bodyguard and best friend, meaning she\u2019s got her work cut out for her.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nJade was originally played by Irina Pantaeva in 1997's Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Damon Herriman as Quan Chi&lt;p&gt;\n\nAussie actor Damon Herriman (best known for twice portraying infamous cult leader Charles Manson) will play villainous necromancer Quan Chi. We don\u2019t actually see Quan Chi in the trailer though, and it\u2019s not clear how big his role will be. Given that Quan Chi is a rival to Shang Tsung and a talented sorcerer in his own right, MK2 could be laying the seeds for a future movie where Quan Chi is concerned. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nQuan Chi appeared in the first season of Mortal Kombat: Legacy, played by Michael Rogers.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\n\n\n(Image: Damon Herriman from Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood)\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn&lt;p&gt;\n\nThe mountainous Martyn Ford will play hulking black magic warlord Shao Kahn. Kahn is Shang Tsung\u2019s master and the emperor of Outworld, making him the reigning villain of this movie. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nKahn appeared briefly in 1995's Mortal Kombat, via CGI, and then was played by Brian Thompson in 1997's Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Shao Kahn appeared in Season 1 of Mortal Kombat: Legacy, played by Aleks Paunovic.\n\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cI definitely felt the pressure,\u201d he said. \u201cI remember when I got cast, I said to my two sons \u2014 who I actually played the game with, which was my first introduction to the world of Mortal Kombat \u2014 and I said, \u2018Hey guys, I&#8217;m going to be Johnny Cage.\u2019 And they were like, \u2018Oof\u2026 Big fan base. Don&#8217;t f**k it up.\u2019<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cSo right from the get go from my own family, I was like, \u2018Oh.\u2019 I felt the pressure. But when you&#8217;re in that situation, all you can do is just channel all of your energy away from any of those fears and anxieties and just focus it on the work, focus it on your preparation. And for me, it was a deep dive into the world of martial arts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">To that end, Urban visited a karate tournament in his homeland of New Zealand to watch young kids and families enjoy the event, and, as a result, \u201csaw the culture.\u201d Then, he spent time \u201clearning how to move.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cLike learning agility and doing speed drills,\u201d he explained. \u201cI mean, we were doing stuff that pro athletes were doing, those kind of exercises.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">And finally, Urban looked at the world of Mortal Kombat itself, from the games to everything that\u2019s canon about Johnny Cage, to apply to the character as he appears in the script.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cJeremy [Slater, scriptwriter] did a wonderful job because he didn&#8217;t write a character that was fueled in so much ego,\u201d Urban continued. \u201cThis is a very dispirited character, which was a very smart choice because it gave not only me, but the audience somewhere to go with the character. It gave a journey.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2021719738 video jsx-2008855984 aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9\">\n<div class=\"badge jsx-1349606671 jsx-3647116352\"><span class=\"ign-icon icon-play jsx-2750866048 jsx-1044454891\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"false\" data-cy=\"icon-play\" aria-label=\"Play\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Urban talked about the \u201chuge challenge\u201d of the fight scenes in Mortal Kombat 2. \u201cComing into Mortal Kombat 2 was hands down the most challenging, physical undertaking that I&#8217;ve ever embarked on when it comes to a production,\u201d he said. \u201cThe skillset required was definitely an exponential learning curve that I have never encountered. I&#8217;d be lying to say that I didn&#8217;t feel a little bit terrified. I mean, you&#8217;re stepping into a movie with martial artists who are accomplished, like Ludi [Lin, Liu Kang], and Max [Huang, Kung Lao], and Lewis [Tan, Cole Young], and Joe [Taslim, Bi-Han], and they are all so fantastic at what they do.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cBut we didn&#8217;t waste a minute. I literally remember landing in Brisbane and getting driven straight to a stunt rehearsal session. Like, I still had the bags. And I was like, \u2018Okay, here you go.\u2019 So the reentry was real. But I think all of us recognized the importance to get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">He continued: \u201c&#8230; the exponential skillset that&#8217;s required, like when you do stunt fighting on other projects, you can kind of be a bit burly and you sort of bullishly bulldoze your way through it. You can&#8217;t do that in martial arts. Everything is so specific in a ballet kind of way, a beautiful violent choreography.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Also in the same press conference, Mehcad Brooks, the actor who plays Jax in the Mortal Kombat movies, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/jax-actor-mehcad-brooks-reveals-struggle-with-mortal-kombat-movie-fight-scenes-but-had-more-confidence-going-into-mortal-kombat-2\">revealed his struggle with the fight scenes for the first movie<\/a> \u2014 struggles he overcame for the imminent sequel.<\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/section>\n<p><span class=\"stack jsx-1475529924\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 adunit-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"jsx-2155806329 bobble bobble-1 pogocnt pg-article\">\n<div data-mix-name=\"secondaryMedrec\" data-pos=\"1\" data-pogo-hide=\"1\" class=\"jsx-343126785 pogo-slot\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/div>\n<section class=\"article-page\">\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">The casting of Karl Urban as Mortal Kombat fan favorite Johnny Cage certainly raised a few eyebrows among the fighting game\u2019s community when it was announced. Urban didn\u2019t feel like an obvious choice as the washed up martial arts movie star turned Earth\u2019s last hope for survival. But as we\u2019ve seen more of Urban\u2019s take on the character via photos and trailers, sentiment has turned around, to the point where now, just a few days before Mortal Kombat 2 hits theaters, there\u2019s a genuine sense of anticipation about the Lord of the Rings star\u2019s take.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Still, taking on Johnny Cage means you\u2019re taking on the might of the Mortal Kombat community, and with that comes an enormous amount of pressure. It turns out, Urban felt that pressure right from the off: from his own two sons.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Speaking during a press conference attended by IGN, Urban revealed the straightforward response he got from his family when he told them the news.<\/p>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"jsx-2228525885\"><\/button><span data-cy=\"slideshow-view-trigger\"><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-preview\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 slideshow-preview\">\n<h3 class=\"title5 jsx-62124236 jsx-1085005187\" data-cy=\"slideshow-preview-title\">Who&#8217;s Who in Mortal Kombat 2<\/h3>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-container\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 images-container\"><button type=\"button\" data-cy=\"hero-image\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 hero-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Here's a quick look at who's who in Mortal Kombat 2!\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><span class=\"button-text jsx-729543028 button button--primary jsx-3381835873 jsx-4266531355 row-pagination-button next contained centered round large\" data-cy=\"paginate next\" title=\"Open Slideshow\"><span class=\"ign-icon right-chevron jsx-2750866048 jsx-2919720488\" role=\"presentation\" aria-hidden=\"true\" data-cy=\"right-chevron\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"slideshow-images-list\" class=\"scrollbar jsx-2072772685 jsx-4243969252 images-list\"><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"NEW CHARACTERS&lt;p&gt;\nKarl Urban as Johnny Cage&lt;p&gt;\n\nJohnny Cage was probably the most significant MK character not to appear in the 2021 movie. Fortunately, the sequel looks to be making up for lost time. All signs point to Karl Urban\u2019s Cage being the central protagonist of Mortal Kombat 2, perhaps even pushing Tan\u2019s Cole Young into a secondary role (we\u2019ll get to him in a minute).&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nUrban\u2019s Cage is introduced in a way that will be familiar to fans of the franchise. He\u2019s played as a middle-aged, washed-up action hero long past his moviemaking prime and the days of box office hits like Uncaged Fury. (Warner Bros. even released a fake trailer for Uncaged Fury this week too.) But unlike most Hollywood action stars, Johnny actually has the moves to back up his bravado. That\u2019ll come in handy as he\u2019s reluctantly drawn into the conflict between Earthrealm and Outworld.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\n\u201cWe start him at a very low point,\u201d Urban told IGN. \u201cHis career is completely in the dumps. He has no self-confidence. He has neglected his martial arts training. And at his lowest point, he gets called up to, essentially, be a warrior that represents the Earthrealm and fight for the very future of humanity. And as I read the script, I found it just such a compelling, interesting, dynamic journey. We start this character in one place, and as an audience, we get to see him evolve and grow.\u201d&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nWe also see a shot of Cage flirting with Jessica McNamee\u2019s Sonya Blade in the trailer. That\u2019s significant, as in the games their romance eventually results in a daughter named Cassie Cage, a very formidable fighter in her own right.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nCage was first played by Linden Ashby in the 1995 movie. The character also appeared in the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy, played by Matt Mullins in Season 1 and Starship Troopers' Casper Van Dien in Season 2.\n\n\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"rounded jsx-412047461 overlay progressive-image jsx-2338608387 expand\" data-cy=\"slideshow-image-overlay\">\n<div data-cy=\"element-caption\" class=\"caption jsx-1762799490\">View 19 Images<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Adeline Rudolph as Kitana&lt;p&gt;\n\nAnother fan-favorite hero is joining the cast in MK2, as Adeline Rudolph plays the steel fan-wielding Kitana. In the games, Kitana is the princess of Edenia, the daughter of Queen Sindel, and a love interest for Liu Kang. She\u2019s also one of the most important figures in the fight to stop Outworld from conquering all of reality. We don\u2019t get the impression any of that will be changing for Mortal Kombat 2, though with a cast this large, we\u2019ll see if there\u2019s much room to build a romance between Kitana and Liu.  &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nKitana was originally played by Talisa Soto in the 1995 movie, while Samantha Jo played Kitana on both seasons of Mortal Kombat: Legacy.\n\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Tati Gabrielle as Jade&lt;p&gt;\n\nThe masked bo staff expert Jade will now be portrayed by Chilling Adventures of Sabrina\u2019s Tati Gabrielle. In the games, Jade is Kitana\u2019s bodyguard and best friend, meaning she\u2019s got her work cut out for her.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nJade was originally played by Irina Pantaeva in 1997's Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Damon Herriman as Quan Chi&lt;p&gt;\n\nAussie actor Damon Herriman (best known for twice portraying infamous cult leader Charles Manson) will play villainous necromancer Quan Chi. We don\u2019t actually see Quan Chi in the trailer though, and it\u2019s not clear how big his role will be. Given that Quan Chi is a rival to Shang Tsung and a talented sorcerer in his own right, MK2 could be laying the seeds for a future movie where Quan Chi is concerned. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nQuan Chi appeared in the first season of Mortal Kombat: Legacy, played by Michael Rogers.&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\n\n\n(Image: Damon Herriman from Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood)\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><button data-cy=\"gallery-image\" type=\"button\" aria-label=\"Open Slideshow\" class=\"jsx-1711207865 gallery-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn&lt;p&gt;\n\nThe mountainous Martyn Ford will play hulking black magic warlord Shao Kahn. Kahn is Shang Tsung\u2019s master and the emperor of Outworld, making him the reigning villain of this movie. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;\nKahn appeared briefly in 1995's Mortal Kombat, via CGI, and then was played by Brian Thompson in 1997's Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. Shao Kahn appeared in Season 1 of Mortal Kombat: Legacy, played by Aleks Paunovic.\n\n\" class=\"progressive-image jsx-2021719738 image aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9 jsx-2605834259 jsx-2338608387 hover-opacity\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" data-cy=\"progressive-image\"><\/button><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cI definitely felt the pressure,\u201d he said. \u201cI remember when I got cast, I said to my two sons \u2014 who I actually played the game with, which was my first introduction to the world of Mortal Kombat \u2014 and I said, \u2018Hey guys, I&#8217;m going to be Johnny Cage.\u2019 And they were like, \u2018Oof\u2026 Big fan base. Don&#8217;t f**k it up.\u2019<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cSo right from the get go from my own family, I was like, \u2018Oh.\u2019 I felt the pressure. But when you&#8217;re in that situation, all you can do is just channel all of your energy away from any of those fears and anxieties and just focus it on the work, focus it on your preparation. And for me, it was a deep dive into the world of martial arts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">To that end, Urban visited a karate tournament in his homeland of New Zealand to watch young kids and families enjoy the event, and, as a result, \u201csaw the culture.\u201d Then, he spent time \u201clearning how to move.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cLike learning agility and doing speed drills,\u201d he explained. \u201cI mean, we were doing stuff that pro athletes were doing, those kind of exercises.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">And finally, Urban looked at the world of Mortal Kombat itself, from the games to everything that\u2019s canon about Johnny Cage, to apply to the character as he appears in the script.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cJeremy [Slater, scriptwriter] did a wonderful job because he didn&#8217;t write a character that was fueled in so much ego,\u201d Urban continued. \u201cThis is a very dispirited character, which was a very smart choice because it gave not only me, but the audience somewhere to go with the character. It gave a journey.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"jsx-2021719738 video jsx-2008855984 aspect-ratio aspect-ratio-16-9\">\n<div class=\"badge jsx-1349606671 jsx-3647116352\"><span class=\"ign-icon icon-play jsx-2750866048 jsx-1044454891\" role=\"img\" aria-hidden=\"false\" data-cy=\"icon-play\" aria-label=\"Play\" style=\"background:currentColor\"><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Urban talked about the \u201chuge challenge\u201d of the fight scenes in Mortal Kombat 2. \u201cComing into Mortal Kombat 2 was hands down the most challenging, physical undertaking that I&#8217;ve ever embarked on when it comes to a production,\u201d he said. \u201cThe skillset required was definitely an exponential learning curve that I have never encountered. I&#8217;d be lying to say that I didn&#8217;t feel a little bit terrified. I mean, you&#8217;re stepping into a movie with martial artists who are accomplished, like Ludi [Lin, Liu Kang], and Max [Huang, Kung Lao], and Lewis [Tan, Cole Young], and Joe [Taslim, Bi-Han], and they are all so fantastic at what they do.<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">\u201cBut we didn&#8217;t waste a minute. I literally remember landing in Brisbane and getting driven straight to a stunt rehearsal session. Like, I still had the bags. And I was like, \u2018Okay, here you go.\u2019 So the reentry was real. But I think all of us recognized the importance to get it right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">He continued: \u201c&#8230; the exponential skillset that&#8217;s required, like when you do stunt fighting on other projects, you can kind of be a bit burly and you sort of bullishly bulldoze your way through it. You can&#8217;t do that in martial arts. Everything is so specific in a ballet kind of way, a beautiful violent choreography.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\">Also in the same press conference, Mehcad Brooks, the actor who plays Jax in the Mortal Kombat movies, <a class=\"link jsx-1337145738 jsx-3925284146 underlined\" data-cy=\"styled-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ign.com\/articles\/jax-actor-mehcad-brooks-reveals-struggle-with-mortal-kombat-movie-fight-scenes-but-had-more-confidence-going-into-mortal-kombat-2\">revealed his struggle with the fight scenes for the first movie<\/a> \u2014 struggles he overcame for the imminent sequel.<\/p>\n<div data-cy=\"accent-divider\" class=\"jsx-3449795453 divider jsx-2786329600\"><\/div>\n<p data-cy=\"paragraph\" class=\"paragraph jsx-2269604527\"><em>Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The casting of Karl Urban as Mortal Kombat fan favorite Johnny Cage certainly raised a few eyebrows among the fighting game\u2019s community when it was announced. Urban didn\u2019t feel like an obvious choice as the washed up martial arts movie star turned Earth\u2019s last hope for survival. But as we\u2019ve seen more of Urban\u2019s take [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,243],"class_list":["post-1908894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-ign-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1908894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1908894"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1908894\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1908894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1908894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1908894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}