Summary
Mortal Kombat 2will 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’sMortal Kombatmovie 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 asMortal 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 Youngwas an original character developed especially for the 2021 movie.Cole’s golden armor and Arcana powersare loosely based on established lore, but they did take some creative liberties.The decision to have a new character lead theMortal Kombatreboot has been criticized, with many believing a pre-existing figure from theMortal Kombatuniverse would have been a better option. Thankfully, theMortal Kombat 2castbrings Karl Urban into the fold to embody the legendary Johnny Cage. What remains to be seen is whether it’s too little too late.
Mortal Kombat’s Cole Young Story Broke A 29-Year-Old Tradition That Only Mortal Kombat 2 Can Restore
Mortal Kombat’s divisive Cole Young story broke a decades-old franchise tradition that can hopefully be restored in the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2.
Cole Young Will Recruit Johnny Cage In MK 2 (Based On How Mortal Kombat Ended)
Theending of 2021’sMortal Kombatmoviesuggests 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, asThe Boysstar 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, asThe Boysstar 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 arsenalto 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 2021Mortal Kombatmovie, but there are several moments involving Tan’s character where it seems as thoughCage 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, butJohnny 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 thattheir pairing inMortal Kombat 2could 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.
Mortal Kombat’s Fatalities Were Great (But MK 2 Needs Something Even More Important)
Mortal Kombat 2 is already shaping up to be better than its predecessor, but it will have to improve the fight scenes in order to truly do so.
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 inMortal Kombat 2.
Mortal Kombat II
Cast
Mortal Kombat II: A sequel to the 2021 film Mortal Kombat, this movie continues the saga of Earth’s champions as they face new threats from the Outworld. Building on the original’s mythical universe, the film delves deeper into the lore of the Mortal Kombat tournament and its legendary fighters.
