Jean-Claude Van Damme is Finally Playing Johnny Cage

The team at NetherRealm Studios is pulling out all the stops to make Mortal Kombat 1 the best Mortal Kombat game to date. If you grew up in the 1990s playing the original Mortal Kombat at your local arcade, this trailer might be a childhood dream come true. “After 30 years, the man, the myth, the legend finally arrives in Kombat,” reads the trailer’s YouTube description. That’s right, Jean-Claude Van Damme has officially joined Mortal Kombat as an available skin for Johnny Cage.

The story is that three decades ago, Mortal Kombat co-creators Ed Boon and John Tobias wanted to make an arcade game based on Van Damme, citing how big Bloodsport and Universal Soldier were at the time. It’s unclear whether Van Damme originally declined the offer or if the proposal never reached him, but the collaboration didn’t materialize. Instead, Ed Boon and John Tobias created Mortal Kombat. The franchise’s success over the last 30 years speaks for itself. Ed Boon shared the story during his recent appearance on Hot Ones, which you can watch below.

The Jean-Claude Van Damme skin will be available at launch as part of the Kombat Pack. This pack also includes six DLC characters: Quan Chi, Ermac, Takeda Takahashi, Peacemaker, Omni-Man, and Homelander. These characters will be playable post-launch. The Van Damme skin is based on the actor’s (much younger) appearance in Bloodsport but he’s wearing a costume that is nearly identical to Johnny Cage’s original design. Van Damme isn’t the only celebrity tied to the Mortal Kombat 1 reboot. Recently, NetherRealm Studios also revealed actress Megan Fox is playing Nitara.

Mortal Kombat 1 – Official Jean-Claude Van Damme Trailer

Hot Ones with Mortal Kombat Co-Creator Ed Boon