What Chris Pratt Could Have Looked Like As Mortal Kombat's Johnny Cage

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A huge part of video games' appeal is the very thing that sets them apart from most other forms of entertainment: interactivity. In one game, players might find themselves running through a dense forest with monsters lurking around every bend in the road and they have to slay (or avoid) said monsters. In another, players could be on a race track floating in space, and they are behind the wheel. Yet, time after time, Hollywood has tried its hand at video game adaptations. Most video game adaptations don't work out, although there have been exceptions, video game flicks that made box office bank. That doesn't mean filmmakers will stop trying, of course, or that fans will keep hoping. 

Simon McQuoid's upcoming Mortal Kombat film is a perfect example, with fans freaking out over the trailer. Despite featuring some classic characters, a few are absent from the roster as of March 2021. Johnny Cage is among those missing, sunglasses and all. In order to fill in the void, digital artist BossLogic used their skills to create a portrait of what Chris Pratt might have looked like in the role.

As an in-universe action movie icon who's starred in the likes of The Gist of My Fist, Fight Dirty, and You Got Caged (via the Mortal Kombat wiki), Cage's look has changed quite a few times since he was introduced in the Mortal Kombat series' first entry back in 1992. BossLogic's art skillfully maintains the general Cage look nonetheless, maintaining all of the character's swagger and bravado. Chris Pratt's played his fair share of cocky characters — the most well known probably being Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord — so choosing him as a base was a smart move on BossLogic's part.

The gold chain (complete with Mortal Kombat's dragon head logo on the end) only adds to the art's spot-on, over-the-top aura, as does the shiny gold jacket with CAGE printed on the sleeve. And of course, it wouldn't be Johnny Cage without the signature sunglasses, dramatically reflecting the bright lights. It all comes together so that you can practically hear Pratt's voice screaming "You got Caged!" Sadly, of course, fans won't get to see him take on the role when Mortal Kombat releases in theaters and on HBO Max on April 16.