Fans may have wondered why Johnny Cage wasn’t involved in the Mortal Kombat reboot given his enduring popularity as one of the game franchise’s most instantly recognizable and iconic figures, but it was hammered home very heavily that we’ll be seeing him in the sequel.
Director Simon McQuoid recently admitted that any potential follow-ups will be decided by the fans and how they react to the first installment, but he’d already hung his hat on the idea of a multiple films given that Mortal Kombat gets the groundwork out of the way and ends with the door wide open for the titular tournament to unfold next time out, setting up Johnny Cage as one of the major players.
WWE star The Miz emerged as a potential contender to inhabit the role several months back, and very publicly declared his interest shortly after the movie was released. The professional wrestler now appears to have the backing of Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon, too, who replied to the grappler’s initial tweet, as you can see below.
Guy makes a compelling case 👍🏻 https://t.co/pasFn3LiNn
— Ed Boon (@noobde) April 24, 2021
In the squared circle, The Miz’s entire shtick is that he’s a cocky asshole who moonlights as a movie star when he’s not being the self-proclaimed best at what he does. Sound familiar?
On paper he’s got the look and the mannerisms down pat, and he also fits the first film’s remit of casting recognizable faces that aren’t anywhere close to the A-list. Theoretically, he’d at least be in with a shot of landing the role if he were to get an audition when Mortal Kombat begins its second bout of casting, and it probably won’t be long until the sequel receives an official green light.