The much-anticipated sequel to the Mortal Kombat reboot, which was released in 2021, is set to release in December this year. Many cast members from the original movie are returning, while Karl Urban has been roped in to portray Johnny Cage from the iconic video game franchise. In a 2023 interview, The Miz opened up about missing out on the opportunity to play the role, which ultimately went to Urban.
The Miz isn’t resentful towards Karl Urban for missing out on the Johnny Cage role
In an interview with ComicBook.com, The Miz revealed that he actively campaigned to play Johnny Cage for years. He further stated that he had been a fan of the video game franchise since childhood.
“This is the first time I’ve actually got asked this question. So I’ll be honest, I really wanted to be Johnny Cage. 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,” Miz said.
However, despite the public push and his own interest, he was never considered for the role and therefore never even got an audition. Wrestling and gaming fans often drew parallels between Miz and Johnny Cage, as both projected cocky charisma and a Hollywood parody persona. For many fans, Miz’s WWE character leaned heavily into narcissistic celebrity energy mixed with humorous catchphrases, which made him seem like a natural fit for the role.
“And so 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.’ And then I’ll even say, I even put a campaign. 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,” he said.
However, despite missing out on the part, Miz had no hard feelings toward Urban, saying that even though fans were upset that the WWE star was not considered for the role, he was not “mad” or “angry” about the situation.
“Then 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 further stated.
Are you excited about the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie? Who would you have preferred to play Johnny Cage, Urban or The Miz? Let us know in the comments section below.
