The new Mortal Kombat movie debuted on HBO Max and in theaters last weekend and the movie is getting a decent amount of praise, all things considered. While it probably isn't the first great video game movie that many fans have been hoping for, it's a lot of fun in a lot of ways, and so it's certainly possible that once the smoke clears, we could see a sequel movie. Based on the Mortal Kombat ending, there's certainly a hope there will be a sequel, as the movie strongly indicates that one popular character from the video game franchise will appear if a sequel happens. We'll almost certainly see Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2.
But if we're going to see Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2, who could play the role of the Hollywood movie star turned fighter to the death? There aren't a lot of huge celebrities in the first Mortal Kombat, so it seems unlikely that we'll get major A-list talent in the sequel, but it's always possible. Whether it's an up-and-coming star or an established name, there are more than a few strong option for the future Johnny Cage, here are some of our top picks.
James Marsden
We should probably start off with an actor who at least one member of the current Mortal Kombat cast is in favor of, James Marsden. Josh Lawson, who played Kano in Mortal Kombat, suggested to CinemaBlend that James Marsden could play Johnny Cage, and honestly, yeah. That would work. Marsden, who played Scott Summers/Cyclops in the X-Men franchise, has a sort of classic leading man look, and we know he looks cool in a pair of sunglasses. At a certain point, that's all you really need to play Johnny Cage on paper. Of course, Marsden is more than that and could certainly do the job.
Henry Golding
Yes, yes, Johnny Cage is is traditionally depicted as a typical Hollywood action star, which is to say, a white dude, but there's nothing that really requires Johnny Cage actually be a white dude, and even the one slight glimpse we have of the character, a headless movie poster, leaves something to interpretation. And it wouldn't be the first movie to completely retcon something like this if necessary. Henry Golding has been mentioned in the same conversation as James Bond, and he's going to play Snake Eyes in the next G.I. Joe movie, and that means he has both the look, and the action pedigree required to be Johnny Cage.
The Miz
Whether or not somebody like James Marsden would take the role of Johnny Cage if it were offered to him, we don't really know yet, but there is one person that we know would take the gig, WWE's Mike "The Miz" Mizanin. The Miz has made it very clear already he wants to play Johnny Cage. The former WWE Champion, who has led his share of action movies, mostly within WWE's film division, basically plays a very Johnny Cage like character on television every week. He's a "hollywood guy" who has bought into his own press and thinks he's as cool as the characters he plays. It's hard not to agree with the Miz that in a lot of ways he'd fit quite well into the role.
Scott Adkins
Scott Adkins isn't a household name in the mainstream movie industry, but if you're a fan of the sort of action films that tend to get released direct-to-DVD, then you probably know him well. He's a trained martial artist known for the Undisputed and Debt Collector series of films. He was also Ryan Reynolds' stunt double in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and has appeared in Doctor Strange, and The Bourne Ultimatum. While Adkins doesn't usually play characters that act like they're the coolest guy in the room, there's no reason to believe he can't pull that off, while also looking like like he can break your face open.
Corey Hawkins
While Corey Hawkins' action movie filmography doesn't really include a Mortal Kombat style martial arts movie yet, he's done plenty of physical action movies to show that he could hold his own, not to mention playing the lead role in FOX's 24: Legacy. He doesn't usually have the size that the movie poster at the end of the Mortal Kombat seems to indicate, but that's what training is for. Yes, like Henry Golding, he might be a long shot, but not for any reason that's actually important to the role. Corey Hawkins is on his way to becoming a movie star, so he might as well start by playing one in a movie.
Chris Evans
Of all the names in this list, Chris Evans is probably the longest of shots. There are no "movie stars" in the cast of Mortal Kombat, and it seems unlikely that will change with any sequel, so getting Captain America himself in your video game movie sequel seems unlikely. Still, we have to put Evans on the list for the simple reason that, once upon a time, Chris Evans played Lucas Lee in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, and that character is so close to being Johnny Cage that it would just be too perfect to get Evans to play a similar role in a Mortal Kombat movie.
Zac Efron
Zac Efron has movie star good looks. Zac Efron has played characters who are cocky and quite sure of their own abilities. Zac Efron has also put himself through the rigorous process of looking like a greek statue for a movie. Zac Efron could absolutely play Johnny Cage. If there's a downside here, it's that Efron has said in the past that the work that he did to get in shape for Baywatch isn't really something he's interested in doing again. But that doesn't mean the man couldn't do it.
Of course, the question right now isn't so much, who will play Johnny Cage as it is, will anybody play Johnny Cage? While Mortal Kombat set itself up for a sequel, there's no guarantee that one will happen. The movie has a significant amount of positive buzz, but without the box office receipts to back it up, it's far from clear what will be necessary to make a Mortal Kombat 2 actually happen. But if it does, there will likely be lots of options for the filmmakers to find their Johnny Cage.
