Johnny Cage is coming to Mortal Kombat 2, but incorporating the iconic character into the Mortal Kombat sequel will be a challenge. Taking many by surprise, Johnny Cage – a name that has been around since the first Mortal Kombat game – was not part of the 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot. However, after the final few moments of the film were dedicated to teasing Johnny Cage, the character’s presence in the sequel was all but confirmed. Now, as revealed by writer Jeremy Slater, Cage does indeed have a role in Mortal Kombat 2.
Johnny Cage may have powers and an origin story that links him to an ancient warrior cult, but even still, he often works as the audiences’ eyes in the Mortal Kombat stories, as in he is the one who initially does not have any idea of what is going on. In a world where the existence of magic and different realms is treated as something ordinary by most characters, Johnny Cage’s presence is even more interesting. Besides his many appearances in the Mortal Kombat games, Johnny Cage was also front and center in 1995's Mortal Kombat film, in which he was played by Linden Ashby. Cage would return for Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, now played by Chris Conrad, only to be killed off right at the beginning.
More than 20 years after Johnny Cage’s appearance in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, the anticipation for the character’s big-screen return could not be bigger, especially after Mortal Kombat (2021) decided not to use him. However, introducing a character as big as Johnny Cage in a story that has already established its core characters will not be easy. Cage is a scene-stealer both in-universe and in the Mortal Kombat games and adaptations in general, and translating such a distinct personality to the screen without coming off as cheap or silly is challenging. Mortal Kombat (1995), despite its flaws, managed to portray Johnny Cage in a way that both honored the characters’ games personality and served the story, but much of that had to do with Cage being introduced along with Liu Kang and Sonya Blade from the start. In the current Mortal Kombat movie timeline, however, Johnny Cage will be a later addition, and all of the relationships between the main characters have already been set. From a storytelling point of view, Cage’s role in Mortal Kombat 2 risks either being too big at the expense of the other characters or too small compared to what audiences may expect.
Incorporating Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2 is even trickier considering that Cole Young, an original character that Mortal Kombat (2021) created, already played a role similar to what Cage usually does. Cole Young was the outsider of the group, the one who had to be taught by Sonya, Raiden, and the others about the Mortal Kombat tournament and its rules. Repeating that same story beat in Mortal Kombat 2 would be redundant, which calls for a different, thus riskier, way for Johnny Cage’s story to play out.
Saving Johnny Cage for Mortal Kombat 2 was a bold decision, one that can only be proven as correct once the movies come out. Despite its overall simple premise, Mortal Kombat (2021) set up a lot of plotlines for the sequel. Between Sub-Zero’s possible return as Noob Saibot, Cole’s connection with Scorpion and the Shirai Ryu being further developed, and the Mortal Kombat tournament finally happening, finding a proper role for Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2 could be the film's most difficult quest.