One of the biggest talking points swirling around Warner Bros.’ inevitable Mortal Kombat 2 is the casting of Johnny Cage, with several contenders either having been nominated or thrown their hat into the ring themselves, in what’s shaping up to be a key role in the blockbuster video game sequel if the final scene of the recent reboot is any indication.
Ryan Reynolds leaned into the speculation to promote his Mint Mobile service, Kano actor Josh Lawson suggested James Marsden and Josh Hartnett also admitted that it’d be something that would interest him. However, nobody has made their intentions quite as clear as WWE star The Miz, who has repeatedly voiced his desire to play Mortal Kombat‘s resident Hollywood A-lister.
The game’s co-creator Ed Boon also backed the 40 year-old as Johnny Cage, and in a new interview, the professional wrestler once again doubled down on staking his claim for the part.
“Honestly, if I have a shot at it, I would definitely want to make sure that I give everything that I possibly can to make sure that not only the production company, the director are happy with the character that I get, but also the fans because they are the ones that are so adamant about Johnny Cage being in the movie. This is an iconic character in the Mortal Kombat franchise and it needs to be done right. If I’m the person to do it, then so be it. I’m ready to go!”
“I remember playing this game when I was a kid. Sega Genesis, I would never play Super Nintendo because it didn’t have the blood, but I always played the Sega Genesis version and I remember playing as Johnny Cage. And, to see this kinda all happen, it’d be like a dream come true.”
It’s not as if the movie industry is against the idea of having those familiar with the squared circle cross over to the silver screen as the surging careers of Dwayne Johnson, Dave Bautista and John Cena make abundantly clear, and The Miz does at least have plenty of experience in front of the camera having appeared in reality TV shows and several VOD actioners, while his entire WWE gimmick is that of a cocky prick who thinks he’s the best at everything he does.
From a purely aesthetic standpoint, it makes a great deal of sense, and given that the first film cost a relatively modest $55 million to produce, he’s definitely in the studio’s price range as well, but we’ll just have to wait and see if Mortal Kombat ends up recruiting The Miz as Johnny Cage.
