Seems like Johhny Cage is about to make a comeback in ‘Mortal Kombat 2’! While the character will probably not be seen in the reboot, some promises have been made for the sequel. Keep reading to find out more!
‘Mortal Kombat’ reboot is all set for a release later this month and fans are craving some Johnny Cage. Johnny Cage has been absent from ‘Mortal Kombat’ for quite a while and that has cooked up a storm in the minds of the fans. However, producer Todd Garner has been considering bringing back Johnny Cage into the scene albeit not in the reboot. The sequel of ‘Mortal Kombat’ could be seeing the return of Johnny Cage and it could be Keanu Reeves playing the role.
Highlights —
- Johnny Cage will not be part of the ‘Mortal Kombat’ reboot
- Producer Todd Garner is considering bringing Johnny Cage for the sequel
- Keanu Reeves could be playing Johnny Cage in ‘Mortal Kombat 2’
Johnny Cage will not be a part of the ‘Mortal Kombat’ reboot
Simon McQuoid’s ‘Mortal Kombat’ reboot will not have Johnny Cage taking the centre stage. Adapted from the popular arcade games, ‘Mortal Kombat’ was supposed to have an early release in 2021, which unfortunately was pushed back. The reboot is now set to premiere on HBO Max along with other movies by Warner Bros lined up for a 2021 release. The cast of the film includes most of the main characters from the original games. The cast includes Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Mehcad Brooks as Jax Briggs, Joe Taslim as Bi-Han or Sub-Zero, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion or Hanzo Hasashi, Jessie McNamee as Sonya Blade, Sisi Stringer as Mileena, and Josh Lawson as Kano.
However, one big name that does not find a place among the major characters is the fan-favourite Johnny Cage. Played by Linden Ashby in the 1995 ‘Mortal Kombat’ movie, Johnny Cage is considered as one of the major figures, sometimes indispensable, to the plot. The character plays between the lines of being a primary protagonist and acting as a comic relief into the story. Johnny Cage is considered to be one among the warriors of Lord Raiden’s Earthrealm and demonstrates incredible fighting skills. However, in the movies, Johnny Cage has been utilised with varying degrees of seriousness depending on the storyline. Nevertheless, fans don’t seem to have enough of the character and are quite upset at his absence from the upcoming ‘Mortal Kombat’ reboot.
Producer Todd Garner is considering bringing Johnny Cage for the sequel
Johnny Cage’s absence from the upcoming reboot has, for obvious reasons, made fans disappointed. However, the disappointment at the character’s exclusion has not gone unnoticed. Todd Garner, the producer, has addressed the elephant in the room and is ready to consider bringing in Cage as a character if a sequel comes up. According to Garner, the cast for the upcoming reboot was selected keeping in mind the cohesiveness required for the story to play out. Going by that logic, the bombastic persona of Johnny Cage did not sit right with the plot of the ‘Mortal Kombat’ reboot. However, Garner has expressed plans for making a sequel to the reboot in which, he says, the classic Johnny Cage would be a perfect fit.
“Johnny Cage is obviously the elephant in the room, and there’s a number of reasons why Johnny Cage was problematic in this particular movie out of the gate. One, he’s a very big personality, right? He needs his own space. It’s very hard to just throw him in a movie, like I said, with Kano. So, taking him out was very easy not only for the movie but for the sequel. I want to make a sequel, and I’ve now got Johnny Cage, which hasn’t been used in the first one. So, I have a big stick and carrot that maybe they’ll let me have a Johnny Cage real presence in the second one”.
Keanu Reeves could be playing Johnny Cage in ‘Mortal Kombat 2’
If you think about it, ‘Mortal Kombat’ has a significantly Asian feel to it. Naturally, some random guy would not do justice to the character of Johnny Cage. However, Keanu Reeves seems like a perfect choice! He has certain Asian features paired with superior fighting skills. His experience in mostly action movies across his career has earned him martial arts skills. For example, ‘The Matrix’ actor had to be trained in martial arts for his character Neo’s fighting scenes. Such training in martial arts makes Keanu Reeves a perfect fit for Johnny Cage.
However, no promises have been made yet. Although Todd Garner says he would consider bringing Johnny Cage for ‘Mortal Kombat 2’, there’s no telling if the gig would go to Keanu Reeves.
Do you think Keanu Reeves would be the perfect Johnny Cage? Let us know in the comments below!
