“Mortal Kombat 2” will finally introduce Johnny Cage to the rebooted movie franchise, but the impact of his debut may be undermined due to the creative decisions made regarding the series’ new protagonist. The 2021 Mortal Kombat film received mixed reviews, in part because of these choices. One significant departure from the video game source material was the introduction of the Arcana powers, a new concept created specifically for the movie.

The 2021 reboot also introduced Cole Young, an original character developed for the film. While his golden armor and Arcana powers loosely drew inspiration from existing Mortal Kombat lore, many fans criticized the decision to center the story on a new character, rather than a well-established figure from the games.

This creative choice was seen as a missed opportunity to honor the iconic characters that made the franchise so beloved.

Fortunately, Mortal Kombat 2 will see the addition of Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, a fan-favorite character. While his arrival is highly anticipated, it remains to be seen whether it will be enough to address the criticisms of the first film and reinvigorate the franchise.