Our First Look at Mortal Kombat II Is Exactly the One You Wanted

When people think of the video game Mortal Kombat, a few iconic characters instantly pop to mind. Scorpion and Sub-Zero, of course. Raiden. Sonja. Liu Kang. Basically everyone from the first game. And while several of those characters were in the 2021 film adaptation, a major star was missing… until now.

Mortal Kombat II, the sequel to the 2021 remake, opens in October and our first look is here. But it’s not a still from the movie or even a poster for the movie itself. It’s a movie poster from the world of the movie, for the one and only Johnny Cage. He’s played by none other than Karl Urban of Dredd, Star Trek, and The Boys fame. Take a look.

For anyone playing catch-up here, Johnny Cage is a Hollywood actor turned Mortal Kombat contestant from the original 1992 video game. The 2021 movie, starring Lewis Tan (Cobra Kai), Hiroyuki Sanada (Shogun), and others, ended with a tease of Tan’s character Cole Young (invented for the movie) saying he’s going to Hollywood to find Cage. So, we all knew a sequel would feature the character. Urban was cast in the role in 2023 and now, finally, we have our first look.

The previous film was actually pretty awesome, much better than anyone expected it to be. It has fun action, great reverence for the game, is beautifully shot, and is very, very violent. That’s why despite it only being a moderate hit during its pandemic release, Warner Bros. decided to make this sequel. That film’s director, Simon McQuoid, is back, as are most of the surviving cast members. All of which you get from the credits on this poster, which breaks the illusion of this being just a poster for Johnny Cage’s Uncaged Fury. No, it’s really the teaser poster for Mortal Kombat II, and it’s coming October 24.

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.