Johnny Cage Steals the Show in Mortal Kombat 2’s Action-Packed Second Trailer

Fans had to wait far longer than they expected to see Mortal Kombat 2. The release date was pushed back from last fall to May 8, 2026, but the new trailer more than compensates; it’s a nonstop, adrenaline-pumping trip, with Karl Urban bringing his best A-Game as Johnny Cage.

Karl Urban places us right into the center of it all, highlighting Cage’s faded Hollywood star status. We discover him sitting alone at a convention booth, which has been set up for no one in particular, with him signing autographs for…well, nobody to be honest. Sonya Blade (Jessica McNamee) and Raiden (Tadanobu Asano) appear and drag him into this chaotic situation. Raiden proclaims, “Johnny Cage, you have been chosen for Mortal Kombat,” and Cage simply stares at a portal as the impending chaos washes over him.

Urban captures the cocky charm feel from the start, as Cage flips over flying bone shards from a Tarkatan warrior in mid-air. He then exchanges punches with Kitana (Adeline Rudolph) in some fierce close-quarters hand-to-hand combat. Every punch strikes with a crushing ferocity that is simply bone-chilling, and I’m sure fans can’t help but start hunting for those iconic moves that they are all too familiar with from the many games.

As old adversaries begin to battle, the stakes become increasingly high. Scorpion (Hiroyuki Sanada’s Hanzo Hasashi) faces off against Bi-Han, who is now controlled by Joe Taslim as Noob Saibot, in a scene that recalls the start of the first film, but this time it hits home. Flames and shadows begin to flood the screen as these two legends battle each other.

Shao Kahn, the main enemy, now towers over the heroes. Martyn Ford perfectly captures the primal danger of the Outworld Emperor. In a rapid shot, Liu Kang (Ludi Lin’s fire champion) unleashes a burst of flames directly into Kahn’s face. Sonya and Kitana then team up to take him on, evading spears and hammers left and right.

Then Necromancy is introduced, and the dead rise from the tomb, prompting Quan Chi (Damon Herriman) to resuscitate Kano and Kung Lao. Josh Lawson’s Kano also appears with his typical coarse comedy intact, and in a wonderful touch, Max Huang’s Kung Lao teleports onto the scene from his trademark hat in a slick motion, which is the kind of charming little detail that makes you smile. All of this adds gasoline to the fire, making the event even more intense.

You can see Jade (Tati Gabrielle’s warrior) attacking her adversaries with rapid, precise strikes from her staff. Then there’s Baraka, whose trademark roar signals that he’s preparing to charge in with his sword arms extended. Shang Tsung, played by by Chin Han, then uses a glowing amulet to imprison Raiden in some energy chains, as every frame of the teaser is packed with fighters from the game’s roster.

Cole Young (Lewis Tan’s lead from the first film) makes a brief reappearance at the end of the trailer, only a flash to indicate his return, but make no mistake: Johnny Cage is the star of the show here. Director Simon McQuoid has done an excellent job of turning the attention to the tournament, which we were promised at the close of the first film in 2021.