At the end of 2021’s video game adaptation of Mortal Kombat, the film’s final scene teased the introduction of a fan-favorite character from the games, Johnny Cage. As described in the games, the character’s backstory is that Johnny Cage’s real name is Jonathan Carlton. Originally a cheesy action movie star, he became one of the defenders of Earthrealm in a battle against the forces of Outworld. Previously the character was played on film by Linden Ashby in 1995’s Mortal Kombat and Chris Conrad in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.

While the 2021 Mortal Kombat film as a whole received only mixed reviews from critics, IGN called it a “fun time for fans of the game franchise.” When released, it also opened at number one at the box office, ranking it among HBO Max’s top films. Jeremy Slater, currently the head writer on the Moon Knight Disney+ series, has been hired to write the script for Mortal Kombat 2. Whether or not Miz plays him, Johnny Cage is set to appear in the sequel along with Sub-Zero, as actor Joe Taslim has previously revealed that he’s signed up for four more films should the series continue.

With the sequel to the film in development at New Line Cinema, it becomes a question of who exactly is going to play Cage, who was one of the seven original characters from the first Mortal Kombat game. Well, WWE superstar Mike “The Miz” Mizanin has thrown his hat into the ring. During an interview with Looper last year, Miz said that his desire to be cast as the character stemmed from seeing his name frequently associated with Cage on social media. He has received endorsement from his followers, peers, and Mortal Kombat‘s co-creator, Ed Boon.

Related: Mortal Kombat 2: Cast, Plot, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know

The Miz Wans to Play Johnny Cage

“I have been working on my splits. I’ve been working on my kicks. As soon as I saw that Mortal Kombat was out and there was no Johnny Cage yet and my name was literally trending worldwide No. 1, ‘We want Miz as Johnny Cage,’ I was like, ‘If they want that to happen, I need to basically make sure that I am prepared and ready that if that opportunity presents itself, then I will be ready and focused,” said Miz on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast, according to ComicBook.com.

Something that the former WWE Champion has been keen to perfect for his potential portrayal is Cage’s left-handed and right-handed intro kicks “because Johnny can do both.” To make sure that he could do both, Miz contacted a trainer that he had previously worked with on Marine 6, the final installment of The Marine action movie franchise produced by WWE Studios. According to the wrestler, he’s “almost there” in terms of being able to execute the splits as well.

“I will do everything in my power to hopefully get that part if the opportunity presents itself,” he stated. “I have an immense work ethic, and whatever it takes, I will be there to try and do it. And if I don’t get it, that’s okay too. But I hope the person that does get it will put in the same amount of work and dedication and give the fans exactly what they want because I know what I want out of Johnny Cage. I really do.”

Read Next

About The Author