Mortal Kombat II is finally in theaters, and that means getting to really see one of the things that has excited us most about the sequel in action: genre legend Karl Urban as the loveably washed-out nut puncher supreme, Johnny Cage. But we apparently have The Boys to thank for Urban landing the role—and not really because Billy Butcher has shot the actor up Amazon’s streaming charts.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in a new profile, Urban revealed the circumstances that lead to him landing the action-heavy role of Cage. Typically, his schedule running around and getting into scraps on The Boys would’ve meant Urban would’ve taken a break after filming. But season 4 of the show saw Butcher spend much of its runtime recovering from a near-death run-in with a drug that gave him superpowers… which meant that instead of filming tons of action, Urban was lying in a bed for most of production.
“I reached out to my agent and said, ‘Listen, I’m ready to go immediately. What do you got?” Urban told THR. “I’d love to do something that was heavy on action. I’ve got fuel in the tank.'”
Luckily for us and Warner Bros., the timing lined up with right around when casting was ramping up for Mortal Kombat II, with Cage a big priority after the 2021 film teased the search for him in its ending. “There was literally an incoming call, and we’re like, ‘What? No way, but yes!” Mortal Kombat II producer Todd Garner added. “It was that serendipitous.”
Three months of training later, and Urban was ready to go as Johnny Cage—and we thank that Boys bedrest every day for it.
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