Karl Urban Says Johnny Cage Is the Most Physically Demanding Role He’s Ever Had

Karl Urban is no stranger to projects that require tons of stunts and stamina. But his latest movie proved more challenging than riding horses in Middle-earth, ripping through Asgard as a Marvel villain, fighting dystopian crime with a helmet permanently clamped on his head, or battling superheroes who are secretly supervillains. Apparently, Mortal Kombat II‘s Johnny Cage required the seasoned action star to dig extra deep.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Urban revealed the surprising trials that came with playing Cage—a fan-favorite character from the games who is himself an action star, albeit of a cheesier, more B-movie caliber.

“It was the most challenging role that I’ve ever undertaken in my career,” he said. “It’s the martial arts. The form and the style of martial arts is so specific, and the choreography, at times, is so definitive in its movement, and there’s a precision of execution for it to look good. It was a huge challenge.”

He specifically sought out an action-forward role after filming The Boys‘ fourth season, which saw his character, Billy Butcher, battling cancer.

“I didn’t really have much action that season,” he told EW. “I had fuel in the tank. I just wasn’t satiated.”

And he didn’t just physically train for the role; he also did some deep dives to bring context to the character.

“As part of my research, I went to karate tournaments and looked at the younger generation of martial artists coming through to see what it was like growing up in that environment, as I imagine Johnny Cage had done when he was a kid,” he told EW.

Mortal Kombat II also stars Adeline Rudolph (Kitana), Jessica McNamee (Sonya Blade), Josh Lawson (Kano), Ludi Lin (Liu Kang), Mehcad Brooks (Jax), Lewis Tan (Cole Young), and more. It’s directed by Simon McQuoid, who made the 2021 Mortal Kombat film, and hits theaters May 8, 2026.

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