Fan-Favorite Mortal Kombat Character Has Heavy Presence In New Trailer

By Jennifer Asencio
| Published 16 seconds ago

Round Two: Fight! Mortal Kombat II is coming to theaters and bringing back a major legacy character who was omitted from the 2021 reboot: Johnny Cage. To top it off, they complimented the all-star cast of the first film with Karl Urban playing the role, freshly shaved after his final season as Butcher in The Boys. The final official trailer for the movie was released on April 9, 2026, one month ahead of the movie’s theatrical debut.

The Cage Connection

Mortal Kombat II reintroduces Cage after he was replaced in the lore by the movie-only character Cole Young, played by Lewis Tan. Cole’s storyline sees him as an MMA fighter, just like Johnny Cage, but it was revealed in the first movie that Cole has ties to a legendary Mortal Kombat warrior. While the new character was introduced in the film, he has to date not been made part of the game and was intended to be a bridge between the moviegoing audience and the Mortal Kombat world depicted in the video games.

However, new characters in established settings don’t always perform well with audiences, and Cole was a blatant Johnny Cage replacement. In the trailer, Johnny returns, and Cole is not even in the top-billed cast on IMDb, strongly hinting that there is a return to the lore fans were looking for in the first film, although the game and prior films put that emphasis on Liu Kang (played in these films by Ludi Lin). Fortunately for Cole Young, his martial arts style and intriguing lineage were popular enough on the cinematic front that fans are clamoring for him to be included in the game, and there have been strong hints that his character will be further explored in Mortal Kombat II.

A Reluctant Hero’s Journey

What this sets up is a situation where Cage could step in as a mentor for Cole, embracing the newer character in the Mortal Kombat canon by having this major legacy character embrace him in the movie. The fact that they both share the same profession makes it very likely that they will work together in some capacity, even if Cole is resistant to Cage at first.

The trailer we’ve been shown centers squarely on Johnny Cage and his hero’s journey that sees him called to the tournament unwillingly by Lord Raiden (Tadanobu Asano). What little dialogue is featured in the trailer features all the snark and one-liners we’ve come to expect from both Johnny Cage and Karl Urban, surrounded by a smorgasbord of martial arts extravaganza performed with the special skills we all know and love. If Kitana’s razor-fans featured in the trailer are any indication of what to expect, this is going to blow fans’ minds with its close adherence to the game.

A Noble Idea: Giving The Fans What They Want

That’s all we’re really anticipating from a Mortal Kombat movie. We don’t want deep philosophy or meaningful messaging. Mortal Kombat games are strictly about fighting, being the successor of Street Fighter and the spiritual guardian of games that have appeared since, like Killer Instinct and Soul Calibur. It has resonance and endless remake-ability because it has a simple format: a bunch of fighters in a tournament where there can be only one winner. It is a format that is so loved in games that the competitors of the Mortal Kombat games are also best sellers, even if the OG still takes the top spot.

This means that fans likely aren’t going into the movie expecting a whole lot of plot lines. All fans want is the fighting, with maybe a little explanation as to why they are fighting, and nothing more. Mortal Kombat II looks like it’s going to fulfill its role as a popcorn action flick without trying too hard to stray from that purpose, and audiences have been craving this sort of “check your brain at the door and come along for the ride” movie for a while. Even if it’s terrible, it will still be fun.

We’ll all find out when with the release of Mortal Kombat II, in theaters May 8, 2026.