Johnny Cage is set to make his grand debut in Mortal Kombat 2, and there’s a strong case to be made that WWE superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin would be great for the role. Directed by Simon McQuoid, with Greg Russo and Dave Callaham writing the screenplay, the live-action reboot of Mortal Kombat centered its action around Cole Young and introduced viewers to new iterations of classic fighters like Sonya Blade, Jax, and Sub-Zero.
Although he doesn’t appear in the movie, Cage’s presence is teased for a potential sequel in the closing moments of Mortal Kombat. Todd Garner - one of the movie's producers - has even discussed the possibility of a standalone film that would be focused on Cage. And while there are several actors that could play the role, such as This Is Us star Justin Hartley, no casting choice for Cage would be more perfect than The Miz - and not just because the game's co-creator Ed Boon tweeted in support of the wrestler gaining this role.
The most apparent reason is the fact that Miz looks the part. For several years in WWE, he’s essentially played the part of Cage as well. While traces of the gimmick still remain, Johnny Cage and the Miz were most similar during a period that stretched between 2014-2015. During this time, Miz fully embraced the mindset of a Hollywood A-Lister. This came about because he’d spent his hiatus from WWE making movies. When he returned to the ring, Miz started to wear sunglasses, fancier clothes that were reminiscent of Cage in its style, and his ego grew to unbearable levels. He would try to avoid getting hit in the face, which he dubbed his moneymaker, and he even had his own stunt double at one point. He would nail the role of an arrogantly charming movie star, because it’s a role he’s already played for years.
Miz’s suitability for Cage extends beyond aesthetics, however. In a similar fashion to Cage, who first enters Shaolin Tournament to essentially prove that his fighting abilities are legitimate, Miz has been routinely underestimated by his opponents and by some wrestling fans because of his reality TV origins. These dismissals led to one of the most memorable moments of Miz’s WWE career when he confronted rival Daniel Bryan on Talking Smack for calling him a coward. The verbal sparring got uncomfortably personal, leading even the most seasoned viewers to wonder about whether the outburst was real or scripted. Miz could easily draw on these past experiences to convey Cage’s desire to prove himself.
He’d also be able to tap into Cage’s comedic side with ease. The character has been positioned as something of a lighthearted foil in the Mortal Kombat franchise, and Miz is no stranger to acting as a foil. His best performances in WWE movies, far away from the grim self-seriousness of The Marine movies, have been in more comedic movies like Santa’s Little Helper. His funnier side is likewise on display during Miz & Mrs. In the reality show, which co-stars his wife, fellow WWE superstar Maryse, Miz has shown that he’s not afraid to be on the receiving end of a punchline.
In this sense, Miz is reminiscent of both Dave Bautista and John Cena. The former WWE regulars are routinely selected for action blockbusters these days, with Cena leading F9 and Bautista being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But they both got noticed for being unafraid to take aim at their public personas. Miz could follow that path. And, as an added bonus, given that there’s a fair amount of crossover between fans of wrestling and Mortal Kombat, casting Miz as Johnny Cage would add an extra element of intrigue to the sequel. If given the opportunity, like Cena and Bautista before him, Miz could very surprise audiences by how well he’s suited for the big screen.