If you’ve seen the new Mortal Kombat movie, you most definitely checked out that sweet little reference in the last scene. Ever watched Citizen Cage? Well, the people of the Mortal Kombat universe did and most of them probably hated it. Everyone’s favorite action star of the franchise, the one and only Johnny Cage, was not in the reboot. That’s a real bummer for us fans, but at least we know he’s being eyed for the sequel.
Wait, will there even be a sequel? I certainly hope so, especially since Cole Young said he was going to go looking for him. That Citizen Cage movie poster just solidified it even further. Okay, first of all, not having Johnny Cage in the first film when he was a staple character in the first game is borderline criminal. But you know what? Since the movie was basically a prequel to the events of the first game, I suppose I can forgive Johnny Cage’s absence. Without a doubt, the heroes of Earthrealm are going to need Johnny Cage for the actual tournament. Now that we know he’ll be joining them, we just have to know who will play him.
Since Johnny Cage is one of my favorite characters in the game, I think getting the right actor to play him is challenging. However, after seeing the stellar performances from the cast of this movie, I believe they’ll cast the perfect actor for Johnny Cage. There are a lot of popular fan choices for my guy Johnny, so I think now is the perfect time to go over the list of potential candidates for who can put on the shades. It’s a tough choice, for sure, but these candidates are actually good choices. Let’s go over each one individually and see if we can breakdown who will be the best choice.
Round one.
Scott Adkins
Now this would be the ideal choice. Heck, even Joe Taslim said the very underrated Scott Adkins would be a good choice to play Johnny Cage. They talked about it on his podcast and it was super fun to see them nerd out about it. These guys are both martial artist actors, so it’s also probably just them passing on some professional mutual respect. But in all seriousness, if I could think of one martial artist actor who could nail Johnny Cage, my top choice would be Scott Adkins. If you’re not familiar with his movies, I suggest you check him out. Just go on Netflix and you’ll see some of his best works. One of his most recent movies was Ip Man 4, where he played the villain and gave Donnie Yen a serious run for his money.
If that doesn’t earn him props, just take a look at his martial arts background. The man has practiced in several martial arts, including Tae Kwon Do, Wushu, Ninjutsu, Karate, Muay Thai, Krav Maga, and Capoeira. Aside from being an action star and stunt coordinator, he’s also a certified kickboxing instructor. As far as action stars go, he’s about as legitimate as it gets. That’s the kind of actor we need to embody Johnny Cage.
When we play as Johnny Cage, you see a lot of flexibility and him making some crazy good use of his legs. He’s a kicker and so his Scott Adkins. More importantly, Scott Adkins has an extensive gymnastics background, something that’s very apparent in his movies. So guess what? That means he can probably do that famous splits and deliver Johnny Cage’s signature nut punch. If that doesn’t sell it for you, then what the heck does?
Ryan Reynolds
Talk about a popular choice. If you’ve been listening to the Mortal Kombat fans, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds is an ideal choice for Johnny Cage. Yeah, I know, he’s not exactly your ideal action star. However, he has become more accustomed to the action genre recently. Look at The Hitman’s Bodyguard and especially Deadpool, and you’ll see that Ryan Reynolds is enjoying being an action star.
But why him? Well, that’s probably because he can kick some butt and be incredibly funny while doing it. We always love playing as Johnny Cage and seeing him fight, but when he’s not fighting, he’s always the funny guy. He’s known for being a bit of a loudmouth and having a rather immature nature, just like another particular Ryan Reynolds character. I always enjoy hearing Ryan Reynolds talk, because the guy just knows how to make us laugh. A tough guy who can make you laugh is a great combination and that’s what Johnny Cage embodies.
And yeah, maybe Ryan Reynolds doesn’t have an extensive martial arts background compared to Joe Taslim or Scott Adkins. However, if you look at the cast of the new movie, neither does some of its key members. For instance, Josh Lawson and Jessica McNamee, the actors behind Kano and Sonya Blade, have never done martial arts until they joined the cast. And if you watch how they performed in the movie, especially Jessica McNamee, their training shows. It just proves that all Ryan Reynolds needs is a proper training camp, and he’ll be backing up his own Johnny Cage talk. And plus, his presence will surely draw a crowd.
Chris Pratt
Speaking of some heavy Hollywood stardom, how about a guy who’s known for playing another Marvel hero? Let’s be honest here, Johnny Cage is all about Hollywood, so getting a big Hollywood name would be only fitting for a guy who will play him. If not Ryan Reynolds, then the next ideal candidate would be Chris Pratt. Just go online and check out the fan art of Chris Pratt as Johnny Cage. Seriously, it’s pretty cool and just like Ryan Reynolds, we know that Chris Pratt can be funny. On top of that, we know that he’s also growing as an action star.
He may not be a well-known martial artist, but again, neither is Josh Lawson and Jessica McNamee. You ask me, having a funny guy is just as essential for playing Johnny Cage just as much as casting a martial artist actor. Chris Pratt can do both and if he comes on board, he’ll certainly stand out. Hey, that’s the style of Johnny Cage.
What are your thoughts, Mortal Kombat fans? Who do you think is the best candidate to play our favorite fictional action star?
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