First look at Karl Urban as Johnny Cage in 'Mortal Kombat 2' sparks a hilarious wave of memes

Karl Urban's first look as Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2 was dropped, and some cynics have raised an eyebrow. But Ed Boon, co-creator of Mortal Kombat, isn't here for your doubts. He has already seen The Boys star in action, and by his own account, it's a done deal. Kombat told Entertainment Weekly:

"You finally get to see Johnny Cage...His integration into the Mortal Kombat story and universe is a big part of what this movie explores. He's a washed-up Hollywood guy thrown into this magical, ultra-violent thing."

"Karl, his depiction of Johnny Cage is different than our games in some ways. He's adding his own flare to it, but I think it'll feel fresh. There's like a novelty factor in there."

He is campy, certainly, but there is a reason that we continue to return to Johnny Cage, and it is not merely for the slow-motion sunglasses flip.

Audiences were not shy, and the internet quickly erupted in laughter with clever quips. Some said Karl Urban was too old for the role, while others thought they could have picked a better individual.

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Social media reacts to Karl Urban's Johnny Cage

Viewers did not lose time drenching social media with memes and GIFs to show disbelief at Karl Urban's casting. From SpongeBob's confused look to Joey Tribbiani providing a skeptical side-eye, everything was peak meme-fication.

One X user @Gupremes had hilarious comparisons for the same. They said:

"It's Giving."

In a mic-drop GIF, a user @300mirrors mentioned:

"I knew that wouldn't work. I love Karl but he doesn't fit."

Even Joey is not sure. A user @CRyptoG842 said:

"Not sure bout that one."

One user @the_movieblog shared a GIF probably summing up all their feelings:

"Uhhh..."

Meanwhile, user @LibTurds102 gave a sarcastic nod. We surely don't know if they are on board or have called quits:

One user @SMGxPrincessirl shared a GIF saying:

"That looks so good.."

But the accompanying crying face tells a different story.

A user @Brunocarlesso thinks:

"MK from 2022/2025 will never be better than 90's."

One of the users, @Maximushiphop, chose to drop a reaction photo so savage that if Mortal Kombat creators look at this, they would wish to reverse everything. It is like the expression parents give when a kid does something wrong repetatively and parents give a last look that says you have 2 minutes to get it right:

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Karl Urban as Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2

Mortal Kombat 2 continues where Earthrealm heroes gave Outworld a whoopin', and now they are seriously in need of new troops.

Johnny Cage, who is too busy shooting B-movies to know his true calling is a lot less about green screens and a lot more about real blood. Cole Young (Lewis Tan) recruits him, so we get to witness the difference between Cage's Hollywood macho and real fighting.

But it is not all single-color flashes and one-liners. There is an arc here—one of redemption, self-discovery, and, likely, some mid-battle hair gel readjustments.

Returning players, Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada), and Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) are also back in the action. Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) and Shao Kahn (Martyn Ford) are getting in the ring.

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For those marking down the days, October 24, 2025, is when Mortal Kombat 2 officially releases.

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