Karl Urban teases epic fight sequences in 'Mortal Kombat II' sequel

Karl Urban has revealed he was pushed harder than ever before while filming Mortal Kombat II.

The 53-year-old star admitted that the brutal action sequel left him physically shattered after months of gruelling preparation.

Karl, who takes on fan-favourite fighter Johnny Cage in the highly anticipated follow-up to 2021’s Mortal Kombat, confessed the role was the toughest challenge of his career.

Speaking to People, he said: “Hands down, it was the most challenging project physically that I've ever embarked on.”

The Boys star spent up to four months in intense training before cameras even rolled, throwing himself into agility drills, movement exercises and martial arts sessions to prepare for the explosive fight scenes.

And it wasn’t just about throwing punches. 

He explained some sequences involved up to 25 moves filmed in a single tracking shot, with no room for mistakes.

He said pulling off the complex routines in one take felt like “a good day at the office”.

The sequel sees MMA fighter Cole Young, played by Lewis Tan, join forces with Johnny Cage and other warriors to battle villain Shao Kahn, played by Martyn Ford.

Star Trek actor also teased one of the film’s funniest moments, a movie-within-a-movie scene poking fun at cheesy 1990s action flicks.

Referencing Quentin Tarantino and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Karl said he had “so much fun” filming the sequence and joked Johnny Cage’s fictional movie career was clearly “in the tank”.

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