Mortal Kombat 2’s Johnny Cage Story Will Make The Reboot’s Cole Young Problem Even Worse In Hindsight

Summary

• Mortal Kombat 2
  introduces Johnny Cage, but may struggle with the new protagonist’s impact on the franchise.
• Cole Young’s similarities to Johnny Cage raise concerns about their on-screen chemistry in the sequel.
• Karl Urban’s acting skills may help bring Johnny Cage to life, but the writers must ensure the character is distinct from Cole Young.

Mortal Kombat 2 will finally introduce Johnny Cage to the rebooted movie franchise, but the fan-favorite’s debut may not work quite as well as it could have done due to the choices made surrounding the film series’ new protagonist. 2021’s Mortal Kombat movie received largely lukewarm reviews, partially due to some of the creative decisions as the video games were adapted again. The movie established fresh pieces of canon, such as Mortal Kombat‘s Arcana powers, which weren’t present in the source material. With a sequel on the horizon, Mortal Kombat‘s future may be negatively impacted by its past.

Mortal Kombat‘s Cole Young was an original character developed especially for the 2021 movie. Cole’s golden armor and Arcana powers are loosely based on established lore, but they did take some creative liberties. The decision to have a new character lead the Mortal Kombat reboot has been criticized, with many believing a pre-existing figure from the Mortal Kombat universe would have been a better option. Thankfully, the Mortal Kombat 2 cast brings Karl Urban into the fold to embody the legendary Johnny Cage. What remains to be seen is whether it’s too little too late.

Cole Young Will Recruit Johnny Cage In MK 2 (Based On How Mortal Kombat Ended)

The ending of 2021’s Mortal Kombat movie suggests very strongly that Lewis Tan’s Cole Young will be the one to recruit Johnny Cage. It’s highly likely that said recruitment will be witnessed onscreen rather than happening between franchise installments, but Young’s awareness that the fighting isn’t over means he’ll want to bolster the forces of Earthrealm. Cage should arguably have been part of the first movie, as he’s one of the most popular characters in the game franchise. So, by having him enlisted by Cole, there is at least a direct connection to the story’s hero.

Very little detail is currently available regarding how Urban’s Cage will interact with Cole, as
The Boys
star can play incredibly abrasive characters as well as more wholesome heroes.

Very little detail is currently available regarding how Urban’s Cage will interact with Cole, as The Boys star can play incredibly abrasive characters as well as more wholesome heroes. Given Cage’s personality in the games, Urban will likely need to use many tricks in his acting arsenal to bring the character to life on the big screen in a way that’s convincing and honors the source material. Thankfully, Urban’s talents remove at least this worry from the equation, and all eyes turn to whether the writers are up to the task.

Cole Young Replaced Johnny Cage In Mortal Kombat In Several Ways

Lewis Tan’s character feels like a semi-replacement for Johnny Cage

Johnny Cage may not appear in the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie, but there are several moments involving Tan’s character where it seems as though Cage has been used as a template for Cole Young. For instance, both men are outsiders who initially have no idea what Mortal Kombat is. In addition, Cole also has a few lines that have been loaded with a similar comedic style as a live-action Johnny Cage would have.

Both characters are hand-to-hand specialists, and Cole’s Arcana even gives him a powerful defensive upgrade.

There’s even the matter of the similarity of Cole’s powers when compared with Johnny Cage. Both characters are hand-to-hand specialists, and Cole’s Arcana even gives him a powerful defensive upgrade. Arcana doesn’t exist in the games, but Johnny Cage also has a buffed defensive capability in the source material. So, it becomes confusing whether Cage’s inevitable Arcana abilities will just be very similar to Cole’s. If so, it could be a sign that the franchise made a mistake by having a protagonist in Cole who already claimed Cage’s onscreen powers.

Cole Young & Johnny Cage’s Characters Might Not Work Well Together

The 2 Mortal Kombat figures could be too similar to have chemistry

The strong parallels between Cole Young and Johnny Cage create a risk that their pairing in Mortal Kombat 2 could be incredibly unrewarding. With so many fans looking forward to seeing Karl Urban bring Cage to life, it would be a huge disappointment to see him have to retread the same ground as Cole did in the first movie. Hopefully, the writers have something special in mind to keep things fresh. If not, using Cole Young as the franchise’s new protagonist may seem like an even worse idea.

One possibility could be to change Johnny Cage’s powers slightly, as his live-action abilities haven’t yet been established, while Cole’s have. This could be an undesirable option for certain portions of the fan base, but if the option is to watch two very similar characters in a universe where so much diversity is possible, it at least stops the experience from being boring. On the other hand, it’s also possible that their similarities create an intense and entertaining rivalry in Mortal Kombat 2.