WWE’s The Miz Says He ‘Really Wanted to Be Johnny Cage’ in Mortal Kombat 2

WWE superstar Mike ‘The Miz’ Mizanin has revealed he is “heartbroken” he is not playing Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2 but thinks Karl Urban will do an “amazing job” in the role.

In an interview with ComicBook.com, Miz explained his desire to get cast as Johnny Cage was amplified by seeing his name associated with the character on social media as fans started pushing for him to play the part right after the 2021 film was released, and the movie’s ending teased the character’s inclusion in the sequel.

“I’ll be honest, I really wanted to be Johnny Cage,” Miz admitted. “When I saw the movie, the Mortal Kombat movie, I really liked it. I know there was a lot of… Some people critiqued it. I really enjoyed it. I loved it. I thought it was amazing. It just brought me back to my childhood.

“I’ve always loved the character Johnny Cage, and when it wasn’t in there, I was like, ‘Oh, wow man, I can’t believe they didn’t put Johnny Cage in.’ And then at the end, you’re like, ‘Oh man, he’s coming in part two, episode two,'” he recalled. “And then… my name was trending with Johnny Cage. And I was like, ‘Oh my God.’ It wasn’t a bunch of people. It was my name. And I was like, ‘This is crazy.’ “

Jonathan Carlton, better known by his stage name Johnny Cage, is an action movie star in the Mortal Kombat-verse, and one of the seven original characters from the original game. After learning the character would appear in Mortal Kombat 2, Miz started training and campaigning for the role, but didn’t land an audition.

“I remember calling my agent and going, ‘Dude, I want this. I don’t know what I have to do. Call whoever you have to call. I want this bad,’ ” Miz said. “I went out on every interview, and every time someone asked me about this question, I would say, ‘I want to be Johnny Cage. I want to be Johnny Cage.’ I never got an audition, which is fine. I mean, maybe they just didn’t see me as the character.

“I heard Karl Urban got it, and I was like, ‘Wow.’ And people were like, ‘Are you mad? Are you angry?’ And it’s like, I never get mad or angry when someone else gets a part that I want,” he continued. “I am fully supportive of a person getting… I imagine they’re going to work as hard as I will work to make sure that that character is honed in, locked in, and is the character that the audience wants and loves.”

The Boys star Karl Urban eventually landed the gig, and a behind-the-scenes photo posted on Twitter courtesy of Mortal Kombat video game co-creator Ed Boon has now offered a closer look at the actor in the role. The image shows that Urban has ditched his beard, dyed and styled his hair, and donned a pair of sunglasses.

Heeeeeeeeeere’s JOHHNY !@KarlUrban #MK2movie pic.twitter.com/mrfnPMbVgQ

— Ed Boon (@noobde) July 13, 2023

Despite losing out on the role, Miz has thrown his support behind Urban and admits he is excited to see his take on the iconic character. “I think Karl Urban, I’ve watched him on The Boys, I think he’s a terrific actor,” he said. “I think he’s going to do an amazing job as Johnny Cage, and you better believe I’m going to watch it.

“Am I heartbroken that I’m not going to be Johnny Cage? Yes, of course,” he confessed. “But that’s the story of life. You literally take your bumps and bruises. I mean, this is Hollywood. This is acting, there’s one part. There’s millions of people that want that part. There’s one, and I didn’t get it.”

It might be a while until we get to see Johnny Cage where he truly belongs: on the big screen, as the double strike by the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild has prompted a work stoppage on the majority of film and TV productions, including Mortal Kombat 2, which Urban confirmed has ceased filming.

Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. Follow her on Twitter.