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.