Karl Urban is no stranger to projects that require tons of stunts and stamina. But his latest movie is proving to be more challenging than riding horses in Middle-earth, infiltrating Asgard as a Marvel villain, fighting dystopian crime with a helmet permanently attached to his head, or battling superheroes who are secret supervillains. Obviously, Mortal Kombat IIof Johnny Cage it takes a seasoned action star to dig deeper.

Talked to Fun every weekUrban revealed the surprising trials that came with playing Cage—a fan-favorite character from the games who was himself an action star, albeit of a cheesier, more B-movie caliber.

“This is the most challenging role I have ever taken on in my career,” he said. “This is martial arts. The form and the style of martial arts are very specific, and the choreography, sometimes, is very definitive in its movement, and there is a precision in its execution to make it look good. It’s a big challenge.”

He is specifically looking for 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 at the time,” he told EW. “I’ve got gas in the tank. I’m just not full.”

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

“As part of my research, I went to karate tournaments and watched the younger generation of martial artists coming up to see what it was like to grow up in that environment, like I imagine Johnny Cage did when he was young,” he told EW.

Mortal Kombat II also starring Adeline Rudolph (Kitana), Jessica McNamee (Sonya Blade), Josh Lawson (Kano), Ludi Lin (Liu Kang), Mehcad Brooks (Jax), Lewis Tan (Cole Young), and others. It was directed by Simon McQuoid, who produced 2021 Mortal Kombat film, and will be in theaters May 8, 2026.

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