Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet entered the tournament and watched Mortal Kombat II, so be warned!

2026 has already been a pretty solid year for video game adaptations, with several promising options still set to release in 2026. Will any hold a candle to the massive flames brought forth by Ludi Lin’s Liu Kang? Only time will tell, but I can almost guarantee that none of them will feature an equal number of pop culture nods to DC heroes, Harry Potter characters and more. For all that this high-stakes sequel is about fantastical and brutal fights between characters from multiple realms, it’s surprisingly referential to real-world projects.

Mortal Kombat II is currently crushing it at the box office, even if it didn’t heart-rip its way to #1. (The Devil Wears Prada’s Miranda Priestly is the ultimate Final Boss.) Which presumably means lots of other fans like myself are also celebrating the bizarro comic and fantasy jokes, quotes and visual references. Wait, no, there weren’t any actual Bizarro references, but…

Those DC Comics Nods Were Great

When Mortal Kombat fans first meet Karl Uban’s live-action Johnny Cage, he’s sitting alone behind a merch-filled table at a comic convention where nobody seems to give a crap about the B-movie actor. (Which is ridiculous, because that kind of actor would absolutely be mobbed at such an event.) But it’s not even Johnny himself that had me cheering the hardest. Rather, the references to DC Comics fare had me hyped.

First up, we have the booth directly to the right of Johnny Cage, which is promoting the Birds of Prey character Evelyn Crawford. Then we have multiple displays for The Question, the mask-wearing investigator that inspired Rorschach and absolutely deserves his own placement in James Gunn’s upcoming DCU lineup. (Particularly the Jeff Lemire miniseries.) In other shots, you can see a booth dedicated to Black Orchid, Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean’s superhero fantasy miniseries, as well as one for the almighty Swamp Thing.

Do these references break this universe, given the existence of 2008 video game Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe? Probably not, since none of the above were playable characters.

Johnny Cage's Lord Of The Rings Comment Is Fourth Wall-Breaking Fun

At the point in Mortal Kombat II when Johnny Cage is tasked with destroying the amulet keeping Shao Kahn immortal, Kano goofily tells him to check the back of the ring for guidance. Which sparks Cage to bring up a memorable Lord of the Rings quote. As he put it:

An amusing line in context of the scene, all things considered, but also amazing given the fact that Karl Urban himself co-starred in the second two films of Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy as the Riders of Rohan's leader Éomer. I would love to see Johnny watching those sequels to see his face when Éomer shows up.

Kano Is Apparently A Harry Potter Fan

Josh Lawson's Kano was killed off in the first movie, but was brought back to life for the sequel because he's so hilarious. Every line out of his mouth is a banger in this movie, so a Standing O for everyone involved with that decision. In any case, some of Kano's best lines come at the expense of Damon Herriman's Quan Chi.

The best jab against the goth-leaning Quan Chi is almost definitely when he compares the villain to "Voldemort's nutsack." Funny how death didn't affect Kano's ability to make super-quick quips about Warner Bros. villains.

Nods To A Kurt Russell Classic And A Netflix Original

There are two other one-liner references that I was also quite fond of. Johnny Cage gets to show off more of his fandom power when he asks Tadanobu Asano's Lord Raiden if he's cosplaying as someone from Big Trouble in Little China. Presumably one of the Storms, given the similar hat sizes.

Earlier, when Johnny Cage is being told the rules of the fighting tournament, he verbally backs away from it, saying it sounds like a real-life Squid Game scenario. Just in case anyone thought that ALL of the references made here would be from Warner Bros. projects.

Find Mortal Kombat II in theaters now, and rewatch the first movie via HBO Max subscription.

Two new action movies on the 2026 movies schedule, Mortal Kombat II and Street Fighter, are practically built for playground arguments. Everyone has their fighter, their favorite fatality, combo or character they absolutely swear by. So, with new movies from both franchises either already here or on the way, it was probably only a matter of time before that rivalry found its way into the press cycle via stars playfully taking jabs at one another. But Karl Urban, who plays Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat II, has a different take on the rivalry.

Urban addressed the supposed rivalry between the two upcoming video game movies after the Street Fighter reboot star Andrew Schulz previously joked that the Mortal Kombat II cast “only [cares] about money.” Schultz's comment then kicked off some playful back-and-forth between actors from both films. Urban, for his part, took a more grounded approach to the matter when he spoke to Collider:

That is the kind of answer you expect from someone who has been around enough major franchises to know how easily fan wars can turn into an exhausting little garbage fire. Urban has done The Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Marvel, Dredd, The Boys and now Mortal Kombat. The man has spent enough time inside nerd culture’s blast radius to know when not to feed the machine.

Honestly, his take is refreshing and, in my estimation, the right one. These movies are not actually fighting each other in an arcade cabinet. If anything, a successful Mortal Kombat II probably helps Street Fighter, and a successful Street Fighter probably helps the next wave of video game adaptations. Audiences showing up for one theatrical fighting-game movie means studios have a reason to keep taking the genre seriously.

Karl Urban made that point even more clearly when he said he wished the other film well. He continued:

That Urban is a class act. It's easy to turn movie coverage into team sports, especially when the properties already have decades of competitive baggage baked in. But making one of these things work is hard enough without pretending everyone across the street is the enemy. He also said he is not interested in getting dragged into someone else’s storyline. He added:

That feels especially true for Johnny Cage, a character who practically lives on ego, performance and showbiz bravado. The New Zealand-born star could easily play into the rivalry and make it part of the promotional bit. Instead, he is leaving the trash talk to the comment sections and focusing on the movie.

Mortal Kombat II is now playing in theaters, so be sure to check your local listings for showtimes. As for Street Fighter, it punches its way into cinemas on October 16.

While the genre struggled history, some of the best video game movies have hit theaters over the past few years. One of these is definitely Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat, which was released in 2021 (and is currently streaming with a HBO Max subscription). The sequel Mortal Kombat II is in theaters now, complete with Karl Urban's scene-stealing Johnny Cage. And I just had to ask the cast why Johnny and Jessica McNamee's Sonya Blade didn't end up starting a romantic relationship in the movie, despite their history in the games.

Critics have been praising Mortal Kombat II, and now fans can judge for themselves since the R-rated sequel is in theaters. I've been a fan of the games for years, and was surprised that the new movie didn't establish Johnny and Sonya's love story. As you can see in the video above, I spoke to the cast ahead of the movie's release, where Karl Urban spoke about that narrative developing in possible sequels. In his words:

I'm sure fans would feel the same. Johnny Cage and Sonya Blade are arguably Mortal Kombat's biggest couple, with the pair even having a daughter Cassie Cage in the more recent video games. But McQuoid showed restraint with this in Mortal Kombat II, while also bringing back dead characters and including iconic stages, moves, and characters from the games.

The ending of Mortal Kombat teased Johnny Cage's arrival, and Karl Urban took center stage in the sequel, alongside Adeline Rudolph's Kitana. But Sonya and Johnny had plenty of scenes together, developing a mutual respect in the process. Jessica McNamee told me that them not instantly falling in love was actually at the suggestion of MK creator Ed Boon (who has a cameo in the new movie). As she put it:

I respect that, honestly. And the fact that they weren't rushed into a romantic relationship will likely make it feel more earned and organic if it happens in a future sequel. Besides, Johnny had enough going being thrown into the conflict of the movie and helping to save Earthrealm alongside the other fighters. Love probably wasn't at the top of either character's mind.

McNamee joked about wanting to kiss Karl Urban, but she went on to share excitement for bringing Sonya and Johnny's relationship to life in a possible sequel. As she shared with me:

Fans like me would definitely love to see this R-rated franchise going, especially after seeing how much Mortal Kombat II was accurate to the source material. A threequel hasn't officially been ordered just yet, so it might depend on how Simon McQuoid's sequel performs at the box office. Fingers crossed it does well and we get to see more gnarly fatalities on the big screen.

Mortal Kombat II is in theaters now as part of the 2026 movie release list. The first film is streaming over on HBO Max, although it's missing the scene-stealing work of Karl Urban's character.

Video game adaptations have a reputation for being hit-or-miss; however, some big wins over the recent years (The Minecraft Movie, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, Five Nights at Freddy’s, etc.) have made gamers feel somewhat safe wading back into those waters. Mortal Kombat II is hitting the 2026 movie calendar on May 8, and while the critics have plenty of opinions about Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage and the R-rated fight sequences, it’s another scene-stealer that is dominating the reviews.

Josh Lawson is back for the sequel as Kano — despite the events of 2021’s Mortal Kombat — and the reviews are hailing the St. Denis Medical star as one of the upcoming action flick’s biggest highlights. Our own Nick Venable caught an early screening and had this to say about Mortal Kombat II:

Max Scoville of IGN rates it a “Great” 8 out of 10, writing that it’s a big win to have Josh Lawson back after he stole the show in the first movie. Between Kano and Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage, the pop culture wisecracks flow in this adaptation of “colorful weirdos beating the s#!t out of each other.” Scoville writes:

Amon Warmann of Empire gives the movie 3 out of 5 stars for creatively gory fighting and shallow-but-amusing characters. The story is paper-thin, the critic says, but it’s still “a lot of dumb fun.” Warmann’s review reads:

2026 is a big year for video game movies, but in the opinion of Aidan Kelley of Collider, Mortal Kombat II pales in comparison to the 1995 cult classic. However, the critic still rates this sequel 7 out of 10, saying it’s a “bloody good time,” thanks in part to CJ Bloomfield’s Baraka and Josh Lawson’s Kano, the latter of whom should be considered the definitive version of the character, due to how entertaining he is every time he’s on the screen. Kelley’s review of Mortal Kombat II reads:

W. Andrew Powell of The Gate also gives it high marks with an 8.5 out of 10, as the critic lists the reasons Mortal Kombat II works: It stays true to the game, features a bit of gore, boasts jaw-dropping special effects, and is “a little dumb” but still “loads of fun.” In Powell’s words:

Not all of the reviews are so kind. Kristy Puchko of Mashable stands by the opinion that not a single good live-action movie has come out of the Mortal Kombat IP, calling this offering an “ugly, nonsensical mess.” Yet even she gives Kano his flowers as the only character who refuses to take any of it seriously. In Puchko’s words:

That moment may have been brief for that critic, but overall the Mortal Kombat II reviews have been more positive than not, earning 70% so far on Rotten Tomatoes. If you’re excited to see Johnny Cage join the fighting fun or to see the humor Josh Lawson brings to the sequel, you don’t have to wait long. Mortal Kombat II hits theaters Friday, May 8.

In case you want a refresher or need to catch up on its 2021 predecessor, Mortal Kombat can be streamed with an HBO Max subscription.

Mortal Kombat II is right around the corner (or is that korner?) as it comes out on May 8th, and it’s just making me think about the FIRST Mortal Kombat sequel we got back in 1997 with Mortal Kombat Annihilation.

Now, as I’ve stated in the past, Mortal Kombat Annihilation is absolutely abysmal (though I kind of like it for that reason now), and it definitely wasn’t a worthy follow-up to the first film, which I still consider one of the best video game movies ever made.

That said, I’m certain that THIS sequel will be much better than Mortal Kombat Annihilation, and for several reasons. Here are just a few.

First Of All, This Sequel Will Have At Least 90% More Johnny Cage Than Mortal Kombat Annihilation

Do you want to know one of the worst memories from my childhood (well, besides my parents’ divorce, of course?). It was having a birthday party and inviting all of my friends to see Mortal Kombat Annihilation. Now, I could tell that the movie was going to suck within the first few seconds because the special effects were SUCH a downgrade from the first movie - which I’ll get into later. To add insult to injury, Johnny Cage (who wasn’t even the same actor!) was killed off within the first few minutes, and I was just like, “WHAT?!”

And yes, I really, audibly said that. I said, “WHAT?!” Because Johnny Cage has always been one of my favorite characters. Plus, in the first movie, he was so badass. I mean, come on now. He killed Goro! So, to have him killed off in the first few minutes of Annihilation was a slap in the face. Like, how could they just kill off such an important character in the first few minutes? That still bothers me.

Thankfully, it looks like Mortal Kombat II is going to be centered around Johnny Cage. Karl Urban is playing the character, and he keeps talking about how “dynamite” the movie will be. I believe him, because Karl Urban just feels like the perfect Johnny Cage. He’s got the charisma, the cockiness, the look. He just has it all.

So, that right there already makes this sequel A MILLION TIMES better than Mortal Kombat Annihilation, and I’m just getting started!

It Already Looks Way Closer To The Games Than Mortal Kombat Annihilation

Bro, let me tell you another story. You might not know this, but Mortal Kombat was so big back in the day that they even had a live tour, and I saw it. And man, oh man, even as a kid, I thought, this is terrible. Bless my dad for taking me. Anyway, the point I'm trying to make here is that Mortal Kombat Annihilation didn’t remind me of the video games when I first saw it. It actually reminded me of the pitiful live show that I saw at Radio City Music Hall, and that’s not good.

The movie was like watching amateur hour theatre. The acting in the 1995 movie was nothing to write home about, but the acting in the second movie was so awful that it was a distraction, and it definitely didn’t remind me of the games that I loved so dearly.

However, as soon as I saw the trailer for this new movie, I threw out my arms like it was Mortal Monday and shouted MORTAL KOMBAT! THIS was the Mortal Kombat from my childhood…sort of. Because while I grew up with the old Mortal Kombat games from Midway, this new movie looks distinctly like the NetherRealm Studios Mortal Kombat titles, and cool. I can dig it.

While the 2021 movie did as well, I just thought it could have been even closer to the games (I’ve since come to appreciate the movie more upon a rewatch). Now this one? With the fights in hell, hints of fatalities, and Noob freaking Saibot? Come on, man. THIS is Mortal Kombat. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This Shao Khan Looks Badass, Unlike The Last One

Oh, my God. I don’t even want to talk about how bad Shao Khan was in Mortal Kombat Annihilation, because God Almighty. What were they thinking?! Played by Brian Thompson, it’s not like he wasn’t suitable for the role. It’s just that Shao Khan felt like such a joke in the movie. As did all of the other characters (“Feel your animality…animality…animality”).

It just ruined the whole movie for me. In the first film, Shang Tsung (RIP, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) was such an absolute legend, and it really sold the whole narrative. It was also a movie that stayed focused on its three protagonists, so we never lost focus on Shang Tsung as the main antagonist, since it was ultimately Liu Kang’s story. Shao Khan in the sequel was such a waste.

That doesn’t seem to be the case in this new movie, though, as Shao Khan (Martyn Ford) looks like an intimidating monster, and that’s how he should look. Mind you, this is the guy who will literally stop fighting just to mock you in the games, and I’m getting those vibes here, too.

So, yep. A killer Shao Khan instead of whatever they were trying to pull off in Annihilation? Take my money.

It’s Also Not Going To Look Ultra Cheap Like Annihilation

When the 2021 Mortal Kombat movie came out, I wrote about how I’d rather watch the 1995 movie, and yeah, I kind of still stand by that, even though I do like the 2021 movie a lot more now. However, what I will say is that, unlike Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which STILL looks good in 2026, 1995’s Mortal Kombat definitely looks like it came from 1995, and I don’t mean that in a good way.

However, somehow, 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation looks like it came from Nineteen EIGHTY-Seven, as it’s legitimately one of the ugliest movies I’ve ever seen in my entire life. Going back to my birthday party, all I could remember thinking about was just how horrible the movie looked. Like, what happened? It honestly gave me flashbacks to how good the first Ninja Turtles movie looked, and then how bad Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III looked. My dumb kid brain just couldn’t process how movies in a series could look worse, rather than better than what came before it.

I’m not getting those vibes from what I’ve seen so far from Mortal Kombat II, though. Sure, it’s not like I lowered my sunglasses and said, “Whoa!” when I saw the visuals for this new movie, but at least they’re competent, okay? They’re not incompetent like the visual effects for Mortal Kombat: Annihilation.

So, that’s yet another reason why this sequel will be better than Annihilation, but I have one more.

Mortal Kombat Annihilation Was So Bad, It Can Only Get Better From Here

Not too long ago, I wrote how 2026 is one of the biggest years for video game movies ever, and Mortal Kombat II is one of those reasons why (especially since it’s going up against Street Fighter this year).

But honestly, Mortal Kombat II doesn’t even have to be that good for it to be better than MKA, because it can only go up from here.

Because if Annihilation is a zero, then MKII just has to be a 1, or at least better than the 2021 movie. Because if it’s that, then it’s already lightyears better than the first MK sequel.

Many of the best video game movies have come in recent years, including Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat. That movie (which is streaming with an HBO Max subscription) finally gave the beloved franchise an R-rated movie adaptation, complete with gnarly fatalities. Its sequel will introduce Karl Urban's Johnny Cage, and the actor spoke to CinemaBlend about bringing his character's campy fake movie to life for the impending blockbuster.

What we know about Mortal Kombat II has been limited, but McQuoid is back behind the camera and bringing in more beloved fighters from the games. Case in point: Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, and as you can see in the video above, I had the chance to speak with him ahead of the film's release. I asked about filming a faux movie that used to introduce Johnny, and he told me:

Honestly, I see it. In the clip from Uncaged Fury, we go from the R-rated Mortal Kombat world to a hilariously campy fake movie starring Urban's character. He took inspiration from Leonardo DiCaprio in Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, where we got to see his character Rick Dalton in some movies within the movie. The tone got to briefly change, and Urban absolutely chewed the scenery throughout this sequence in Mortal Kombat II.

But Leo wasn't the only person that the Star Trek actor took inspiration from for Uncaged Fury. In fact, he stole a move from Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones. As he told me:

Ridiculously hilarious, maybe. While the majority of Mortal Kombat is full of thrilling action and gory fatalities, Johnny Cage's fake movie provided some camp and comedy to the proceedings. You can see a clip from that sequence below:

Johnny Cage is a comedic presence throughout the Mortal Kombat video games, and this faux movie scene is a great nod to this history. And even outside of Uncaged Fury, Urban brought plenty of zingers to life in the sequel film. Luckily, the wait is nearly over for both casual and hardcore MK fans.

Mortal Kombat II will hit theaters on May 8th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Karl Urban crushed it bringing Johnny Cage to life, including his signature nutcracker punch from the games.

Many of the best video games have bene released over the last few years, including Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat (which is streaming with a HBO Max subscription). That movie's sequel is nearly here, which will debut Karl Urban as Johnny Cage. The actor recently got real about bringing that beloved character to life... including his signature nut punch from the games. Let's break it all down.

Mortal Kombat II's trailers teased the epic action that's on its way, and fans of the long-running video game franchise are hyped to see various beloved moves brought to live-action. In a conversation with ComicBook, Karl Urban spoke about how challenging the movie's action was, saying:

Urban has done a ton of action throughout his career, including his roles in genre projects like Star Trek, Thor: Ragnarok, and The Boys (the latter of which is streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription). Still, it sounds like Mortal Kombat II was on another level, which makes sense for those of us who saw the original movie back in 2021. But it was all worth it, as Urban has been teasing how "dynamite" the forthcoming sequel will be.

Fans of the games are looking forward to seeing Johnny Cage's signature powers brought to life on the big screen, and he's confirmed that the signature nut punch has made its way into the movie. He revealed he went into the splits to pull off the movie, saying:

Honestly, that's epic. Not only is Johnny Cage's signature punch in the movie, but Urban actually pulled it all off himself. So when folks see the nut punch happen in the theater, they can be rest assured that 53 year-old actor was indeed the one making it happen. What a badass.

All will be revealed when Mortal Kombat II hits theaters on May 8th as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully more sequels are ordered, allowing even more of Johnny Cage on the big screen.

While movies based on video games have historically struggled, some of the best video game movies arrived in recent years. Chief among them is Simon McQuoid's Mortal Kombat, which arrived in 2021 (and is streaming with a HBO Max subscription). It's long-awaited sequel is nearly here, and I can't get enough of newcomer Karl Urban's enthusiasm about his forthcoming debut as Johnny Cage.

Mortal Kombat II was delayed a number of times, but the wait is nearly over for its May release. The trailers for Mortal Kombat's sequel are putting Urban front and center, seemingly as the protagonist of the forthcoming R-rated flick. In a conversation with Pedestrian.TV at The Boys' Season 5 premiere, the 53 year-old actor gushed about what's to come, saying:

Honestly, his enthusiasm is infectious. Karl Urban has done a ton of action throughout the years, so the fact that he's praising the upcoming sequel as the best of his career is saying a lot. While Mortal Kombat II has had some early screenings, the Star Trek alum is ready for fans to finally get the chance to see the action sequel... and the many gory fatalities that are sure to happen throughout its 116-minute runtime.

The action of the first Mortal Kombat definitely didn't disappoint fans, who were thrilled to see the gory video game brought into live-action in such an accurate way. The '90s MK movies have their place in film history, but their PG-13 rating stopped them from being as bloody and violent as the source material.

Karl Urban's excitement echoes how many fans feel about Mortal Kombat II. The first movie felt more like a prequel in many ways, with the fighters never actually having the titular tournament. So the hype is very real. You can see the actor's comments below:

Luckily for both Urban and the fans, the wait is nearly over. After a ton of delays and years of patience, Mortal Kombat II is finally hitting theaters in early May. There's just a few weeks left, so hopefully we get some more thrilling footage sooner rather than later.

All will be revealed when Mortal Kombat II is released on May 8th as part of the 2026 movie release list. We'll jut have to see how many characters survive for a future sequel, including Urban's Johnny Cage.

Eric Kripke has never been one to pull punches on The Boys, the superhero satire that’s given us everything from a clone “Butt Buffet” to a penis explosion that’s grosser than you could imagine. With just eight episodes remaining, I wouldn’t expect Kripke to take his foot off the gas now, so what are critics saying about The Boys’ fifth and final season ahead of its premiere on the 2026 TV schedule?

Homelander is as powerful as ever when Season 5 opens, with a suped-up Butcher willing to go to any lengths to take him down. In addition to the inevitably epic showdown between these two, Season 5 promises a Supernatural reunion, new depths of toxic masculinity and, according to Karl Urban, “fatalities from the get-go.” I won’t spoil any of them here, so you’re safe to read on to see what critics think of The Boys’ last hurrah.

Victoria Luxford of NME points out that what may have started as a satire of DC and Marvel has come to resemble real-world political unrest, and Antony Starr’s performance as Homelander is “a startling piece of work.” The critic gives the season a perfect 5 out of 5 stars, writing:

Jeremy Mathai of SlashFilm agrees The Boys goes out on top, rating the season an 8 out of 10. After what the critic calls an “overly-bleak and cynical season 4,” the final episodes hold absolutely nothing back with engaging action, unrivaled gruesome practical effects and plenty of much-needed heart. Mathai says:

M.N. Miller of Geek Vibes Nation gives The Boys Season 5 a 9.0, writing that the series goes out in a “bloody blaze of resonant glory.” All the gallows humor is still there, as well as its venomous revenge narratives, and it’s all wildly entertaining. Miller’s review reads:

Alison Herman of Variety, like many of the critics, notes how closely some of The Boys plots parallel our current world, sarcastically remarking that Season 5 is “Just the kind of escapist entertainment we all crave!” However, Herman admits that each “geyser of blood and squelch of spilled guts” actually does offer sorely needed catharsis. Her review continues:

Jake Kleinman of Polygon points out some flaws in The Boys’ final season, including the introduction of a MacGuffin (one of the superhero genre’s worst tropes, in the critic’s opinion), as well as integrating characters from Gen V. Kleinman says you can still catch onto the plot even if you haven’t seen the spinoff and promises there’s still plenty of fun to be had in this dark world. He continues:

I’m so excited to hear these positive reactions to The Boys Season 5, and I can’t wait to dive into the depravity. My God, just think of the Homelander memes.

The above critics aren’t the only ones praising the series’ final eight episodes; The Boys holds a Certified Fresh 97% on Rotten Tomatoes’ Popcornmeter. Catch the first two episodes streaming with a Prime Video subscription on Wednesday, April 8, with episodes dropping weekly thereafter.

Through its first four seasons, The Boys has featured dozens if not hundreds of on-screen fatalities… but if we’re being totally honest, some characters have always felt safer than others. It’s far from a unique thing about the streaming series: there are always some protagonists and antagonists that serve as pillars for everything being built, and there is no real expectation that their time as part of the cast is going to be cut short. All that being said… when it comes to a final season all bets are off, and star Karl Urban has teased that the superhero show is not going to disappoint in that respect with the upcoming Season 5.

Known to fans as Billy Butcher, Urban teased what’s to come from the last run of The Boys during a recent press line interview with Variety, and he highlighted the extreme stakes that audiences can expect. He promises that folks are going to be left with proverbial gaping jaws in upcoming episodes, and it’s not even going to be a delayed thing: we can expect some stunning developments in the premiere. Said the actor,

Even Billy Butcher’s head is on the block this season (pun absolutely intended). When we last saw the character in the Season 4 finale, he was not only on the verge of death thanks to his usage of Compound V but also completely insane – hallucinating friends who had died years ago. Because of his V usage, he now has powers tied to the darkest part of himself, specifically the ability to generate vicious black tentacles, and he is in possession of a virus that could wipe out every supe on the planet.

Both Butcher’s continued existence and the virus pose extreme danger to all of the main characters on The Boys… but let’s also not forget that Antony Starr’s Homelander has complete control of the United States government thanks to the machinations of Susan Heyward's Sister Sage. That power is guaranteed to result in a massive body count, and there are few people that Homelander wants dead more than the members of The Boys.

It feels like it was just yesterday that The Boys debuted and wowed audiences with its diabolical and razor sharp satire – aimed both at superhero culture and disturbing developments within our own reality. Set to debut on April 8, Season 5 is arriving a little less than two years after the finale of Season 4 in July 2024, and if you need a refresher on everything that’s happening, you can rewatch all of the previous episodes of both it and the spinoff Gen V with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Karl Urban has built a career on playing tough, unbreakable characters, but his latest comments about the upcoming Mortal Kombat II suggest he may have finally found a role that pushed him harder than anything that came before it: his take on Johnny Cage. In the process, the actor may have unintentionally thrown a little shade at Billy Butcher, the character he’s spent years embodying on The Boys, which streams with an Amazon Video Prime subscription.

While speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Karl Urban explained how the timing of Mortal Kombat II lined up perfectly with where he was coming off The Boys. But according to the actor, stepping into the world of the video game beat 'em up required a completely different level of physical commitment, one that left him more challenged than satisfied. He explained:

The Dredd star is no stranger to screen violence. Between disemboweling Supes and surviving increasingly unhinged action movie sequences on Amazon’s hit series, you’d think his threshold for punishment would be maxed out. Heck, he apparently asked for heavy action movie content. Well, wish granted. He continued:

The Boys is known for its chaos and brutality, whereas Mortal Kombat II requires a bit of discipline. The fights are apparently structured, stylized and unforgiving when it comes to technique. Urban had to retrain his body to move with precision rather than rage.

The sequel also presents Johnny Cage at a specific point in his life. As described in prior news reports, Cage is introduced as a washed-up Hollywood actor. This former martial arts prodigy made his name in low-budget action movies before fading into convention appearances. That backstory allowed the Lord of the Rings veteran to blend physical comedy with legitimate martial arts skill, especially in key fight sequences like Johnny’s big showdown with Kitana.

The Star Trek alum even compared Johnny’s fighting style to classic Jackie Chan performances, in which humor and physical vulnerability are baked into the choreography. According to director Simon McQuoid, the balance was intentional. Johnny couldn’t look helpless, but he also couldn’t appear fully prepared for what he was being thrown into.

Karl Urban wanted something harder, something that demanded more of him, and Mortal Kombat II delivered. Whether his comments were meant as a playful jab at Billy Butcher, they do highlight that after years of controlled chaos, Karl Urban was ready to "test his might" in a whole new way.

We’ll see the results when Mortal Kombat II hits the 2026 movie calendar in theaters on May 8, 2026.

Making our way into the 2025 movie schedule’s fall offerings, there’s going to be a lot of blood on the floor in certain parts. I’m not trying to be morbid, but the very existence of the long-awaited sequel, Mortal Kombat II, kind of dictates that as an eventuality. At the same time, thanks to the new trailer for the picture, I can say that I think Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage is a flawless victory…while at the same time being super hyped for his meeting with two Kombatants returning to the fray.

Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage Is Totally Going To Crush Mortal Kombat II

I’m starting to love co-creator Ed Boon’s reaction to Mortal Kombat II even more now, thanks to what we’ve just seen. Sure enough, he was on hand during Warner Bros.’ livestream event to unveil the trailer for this October roundhouse kick of excitement. If you didn’t already believe in Urban’s Mortal Kombat II casting, his cool-as-ice Johnny Cage was well worth the long game that’s been played since his reveal.

The mock poster for Uncaged Fury was only the beginning, apparently, as a promotional mailer that Warner Bros. sent out to journalists (myself included) contained a DVD made to look like it was a copy of that very film. What it actually contained was a faux trailer, which you can see for yourself below:

Clearly, the studio is going all in on our boy in the $500 sunglasses. However, there’s just enough crumbs here to intrigue me into wanting to know more about how he’ll be playing with two other Kombat Kids in this Outerworld sandbox.

Sonya Blade And Kano Are Gonna Get Along With Johnny Cage Just Fine

Deep cut Mortal Kombat fans were probably just as excited as I was that we got to see Karl Urban interacting with Jessica McNamee's Sonya Blade. That alone is pretty exciting, and only gets even more spectacular when you see that Josh Lawson's Kano is also mixing it up with Johnny Cage, too.

Oh, this could get messy my friends - and I'm not just making another reference to the blood and guts here. Between the lore of the MK games, as well as the 1995 film adaptation, Sonia and Johnny kinda became a power couple in the lore of the franchise. They even have a daughter named Cassie, a featured fighter in Mortal Kombat X and Mortal Kombat 11.

I theorize that Sonya and Johnny’s believer/newcomer relationship could see the beginning of something along those lines. Which is only going to be complicated by the fact that Ms. Blade and Kano didn’t exactly end 2021’s Mortal Kombat on good terms. Then again, if you go back and watch that film with your HBO Max subscription, you’d also see that they were never really that chummy to begin with.

An uneasy alliance could form between these three, and any other Earthrealm fighters looking to defeat Shang Tsung and his crew. However, if Kano dies again (and he probably will), I think it’ll be Johnny Cage who does him in. And probably with a crack about how he’d never be able to find sunglasses with a laser-friendly prescription.

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m ready for Mortal Kombat II to open the portals, as well as numerous cans of whoop ass, starting October 24th.

From the big screen to the small screen, movies and series based on video games are not only popular, but they can be quite successful. The Sonic the Hedgehog movies have all been massive hits in theaters, but another game franchise is about to drop its own sequel. According to the writer of the upcoming Mortal Kombat 2, the film could generate Avengers: Endgame-levels of hype.

The rebooted Mortal Kombat movie debuted during the pandemic and, thus, it wasn’t able to build a massive box office total. However, between its box office success and its simultaneous release for everybody with a Max subscription, it was clear to WB that the movie should get a sequel. That follow-up adds Karl Urban to the cast as the popular character Johnny Cage and will receive a full theatrical release on the 2025 movie schedule. Ahead of the film's release, writer Jeremy Slater tells Comicbook.com that fans are reacting in theaters like they’re watching Marvel's 2019 culmination film. He explained…

Mortal Kombat 2 likely isn't going to be at the level of Avengers: Endgame for a lot of people. However, certain MK fans who love the game franchise and are excited to see certain characters on the big screen, it’s not hard to imagine those fans going absolutely wild when a favorite character appears or somebody pulls off a move they’re famous for in the games.

Slater counts himself among those fans, saying he pumped a lot of quarters into Mortal Kombat arcade machine as a kid. Even he is wowed by the experience of being part of the new film. He relayed a story about being on the set and being blown away by what he saw. Slater said…

Jeremy Slater's description should be enough to keep fans pumped ahead of the first trailer's release. Specific plot details are scarce, but all signs point to plenty of action and gore as another brutal tournament lies ahead. Mortal Kombat 2 is set to hit theaters on October 24 as part of the 2025 movie schedule.

A well-made video game movie can make it very easy to forget about how many more slapdash and poorly conceived live-action versions there are. For many, 2021’s Mortal Kombat was an enjoyably brainless trip to the theater, and its sequel is among the most anticipated upcoming video game adaptations, thanks in part to Karl Urban’s debut as Johnny Cage.

But as excitement builds for Mortal Kombat 2 soon after its first official images hit the Internet, another high-profile fighting game movie received some bad news, as the in-the-works Street Fighter remake’s future is now in question. This is why we can’t have nice-ish things.

The Street Fighter Remake Just Lost Its Release Date To Another Movie

Despite Sony’s initial eagerness to pencil in a super-early release date for Street Fighter — it was already going for a post-2025 theatrical release with a date set at March 20, 2026 — the studio’s execs have apparently second-guessed that decision. Now, the Legendary-distributed project is without a date entirely, and it’s unclear what the back-up plan will be for it.

This unfortunate update is coming out of left field in a way, considering it was just in mid-February when The Eric Andre Show and Bad Trip director Kitao Sakurai was announced as the game adaptation’s new director. Also one of the Eps behind the upcoming second season of Netflix’s Beef and Daniel Dae Kim’s upcoming streaming series Butterfly.

Previously, the Australian filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou were attached to direct and produce Street Fighter as a follow-up to their smash hit horror Talk to Me, but they later backed out. (Their actually follow-up will be the pet-resurrecting horror Bring Her Back.)

At this point, it’s unknown why Sony balked on sticking with the original release date. No cast members have been revealed for the new adaptation to date, so it’s possibly there are scheduling issues for stars that we just don’t know about yet.

Also worth noting: Sony also flipped the release date script on Tommy Wirkola's upcoming shark thriller Shiver, which was originally set for August 1, 2025. That film will now hit theaters nearly a year later, only July 3, 2026.

Mortal Kombat 2 Is Definitely Still On The Way

With Karl Urban looking as fly as ever as Johnny Cage — sorry, not sorry, The Boys' Billy Butcher — Mortal Kombat 2 is thankfully still set to blast its way into theaters this year as the second directorial effort from filmmaker Simon McQuoid, with screenwriter Jeremy Slater (The Umbrella Academy) stepping in to pen the sequel.

Beyond Urban, the new movie co-stars Mehcad Brooks, Lewis Tan, Jessica McNamee, Josh Lawson, Adeline Rudolph, Tati Gabrielle, Damon Herriman, Chin Han, Ludi Lin, Joe Taslim, Hiroiyuki Sanada, Tadanobu Asano, and Damon Herriman among others.

Mortal Kombat II is set to hit theaters on Friday, October 24, 2025.

Fans and spectators of the Outworld Tournament, it’s almost time for our realm to test its might once again. October’s frame on the 2025 movie schedule has a nice dragon-shaped insignia place in its heart for the long-awaited sequel Mortal Kombat 2, and that arrival will come with a pretty big Hollywood debut.

As Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage will be getting cinematic in director Simon McQuoid’s sequel, that means there’s some new blood waiting to be spilled. Celebrating EW’s release of the first look photo at The Boys vet’s new kid on the interdimensional block, video game co-creator Ed Boon was on hand, along with McQuoid, to build up the hype. Laying out what to expect from Mr. Urban’s Johnny, who was previously teased in Mortal Kombat’s ending, Boon provided this intriguing statement:

One of the OG characters fans were kind of surprised not to see in 2021’s Mortal Kombat, Mr. Cage is usually depicted as a flashy movie star with an ego as big as his name in lights will allow. Which totally explains the earlier teaser poster for Karl Urban's variant of this honored franchise fixture.

If that was what we should have expected from the new Earthling drawn into Mortal Kombat 2’s cast by Lewis Tan’s returning hero Cole Young, that still would have been awesome. Especially since New Zealand native Urban could use his homegrown accent to mock the Australian Lawson in a fun sort of in-joke before punches fly.

Of course now that Ed Boon has promised a “different” Johnny Cage, it appears that more than just a fish out of water who isn’t sure how to spell “Shao Kahn” in autographs. That doesn't mean he won't jokingly offer Kano his sunglasses with a crack about a "killer glare," especially since we're used to seeing the Lord of the Rings star on the other side of the eye lasers.

But as you'll read in what Mortal Kombat 2 director Simon McQuoid had to say, that's not all:

Though we’ve sat with the news for some time, Mortal Kombat 2’s Johnny Cage casting feels just a little more special after getting this new information. As anyone who’s watched Karl Urban on The Boys will tell you, the man behind Billy Butcher can still flash a gleeful smile while preparing to decimate the competition.

So anyone afraid of too much humor manifesting in a brawl such as this shouldn’t fret too hard just yet. Following in the footsteps of how the first picture evolved Hiroyuki Sanada’s Scorpion, the future of Johnny Cage could find us being a little more emotionally invested.

As both Josh Lawson and Karl Urban would be able to dial their respective personalities up or down to the point where their sparring partner can shine, this could be the match to watch. We'll see soon enough when Mortal Kombat 2 lands in theaters on October 24th, though here's hoping this new chatter means the first trailer is on the way.

April will mark the four-year anniversary of when the Mortal Kombat reboot was released simultaneously in theaters and to those who have a Max subscription. Six months after that, the long-awaited Mortal Kombat 2 will arrive on the 2025 movies schedule, and among the many new faces who’ll be taking part in the sequel is Karl Urban as Johnny Cage, who was teased at the end of the first movie. We finally have our first look at Urban as this popular Mortal Kombat poster, and I’m loving that this was accompanied by a couple of A+ puns.

Just like his video game counterpart, Urban’s Johnny Cage will be a Hollywood star, so it’s only fitting that our first look at this incarnation of the character comes in the form of a movie poster officially released by Warner Bros. Pictures. Check out how Urban looks all Cage-d up, and take note of the movies listed on the advertisement.

In addition to being one of Tinsel Town’s most sought-after performers in the Mortal Kombat universe, Johnny Cage is also a full-blown narcissist… which can be said about a lot of Hollywood actors, but that’s a separate conversation. The point being, I’m getting a kick out of Johnny starting in movies called Rebel Without A Cage and Uncaged Fury. I can almost picture him demanding that the titles be changed to be plays on his last name.

I’m also amused at the thought of someone who doesn’t know anything about Mortal Kombat seeing this poster at their theater and thinking it’s a real movie, only to later learn it was just some clever marketing for Mortal Kombat 2. As for Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage look, it’s basically what I expected. The slicked-back hair, the sunglasses, the leather jacket, it’s all nicely in keeping with how the character is usually depicted in the video games. Now I just need to hear how Urban will sound as Cage.

Ideally that will come in the first Mortal Kombat 2 trailer, which ideally will be released in the next few months. The sequel wrapped filming in January 2024, so there should be more than enough footage that’s been polished during postproduction that can be stitched together into an enticing teaser. Other newcomers joining Karl Urban in Mortal Kombat 2 include Tati Gabrielle as Jade, Adeline Rudolph as Kitana and Martyn Ford as Shao Kahn, among others. Some of the returning faces include Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Josh Lawson as Kano, Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Ludi Lin as Liu Kong, Mehcad Brooks as Jax Briggs and Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion.

Directed by Simon McQuoid and written by Jeremy Slater, Mortal Kombat 2 opens in theaters on October 24. We’ll continue passing along other first looks and significant details concerning the sequel as they come in.

Though it’s currently unclear if it’ll be released as part of the 2025 TV schedule, the impending arrival of The Boys Season 5 is a high point of excitement for comic book fans, superhero fanatics, and fans of NSFW satire. The hype is so high, in fact, that even actors who technically aren’t on the show anymore like Simon Pegg are pumped that the streaming series is back in production.

And what better way for Pegg to show his happiness and appreciation than by posting a bizarro behind-the-scenes photograph from his final episode (for now?) inside the hospital. Check it out below!

As fans will likely remember, Hughie Sr.’s journey on The Boys came to a speedy, body-demolishing halt in Season 4’s fifth episode after his estranged wife Daphne (portrayed by Rosemarie DeWitt) surreptitiously injected him with Compound V in an attempt to save him from dying naturally. He phased through walls, beds, and bodies with panicked ease, which Eric Kripke explained was a reflection of his emotional state and how invisible and slight he felt.

Which is the disturbing context in which Simon Pegg’s above photo was taken, as he’s standing mid-phase in a bed with a corpse lying on it. Not a real corpse, obviously. At least, we assume Pegg isn’t that much of a method actor.

Now let's check out another bloody pic, only this time from someone who's still alive (barely) when Season 5 starts up.

Karl Urban's Bloody First Look At Billy Butcher In Season 5

Karl Urban's Billy Butcher spent much of Season 4 battling increasingly disturbing health issues. Not just of the physical variety, though his coughing fits are nothing to get jealous about. He's also a bit twisted in the brain department, considering he was hallucinating both Jeffrey Dean Morgan's Kessler and Shantel VanSanten's Becca by the end.

Eric Kripke told us that the final season will finally dig deeper into the Butcher Vs. Homelander feud, though I can't imagine that Butcher is covered in Homelander's blood in the pic Urban shared below. (Well I can imagine it, but don't think it's realistic.)

The blood spattered across his face and matted in his hair seemingly implies that it's not Butcher's blood dripping down. Rather, it looks like he got sprayed after someone's head exploded, or as he was pummeling someone's face in. Though I guess the latter idea doesn't make sense, considering the hand he's holding up isn't all bruised and bloody.

It sucks that we'll be waiting so long to see exactly whose blood it is, but I'm betting we'll get to see plenty of other behind-the-scenes pics before that happens.

Before The Boys’ next season arrives with Daveed Diggs as a new cast member, fans can look forward to watching the return of the younger generation of Supes in Gen V Season 2, which will be out at some point next year. Until then, all four seasons are available to stream now with an Amazon Prime subscription.

Major spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched through The Boys Episode 6 with an Amazon Prime subscription, so be warned!

The Boys’ ability to pull off shocking reveals is second to none on the small screen, whether it’s a raunchy supe orally pleasuring himself, one of Homelander’s milk-obsessed treats, or Will Ferrell starring in A-Train's origin story. But it’s not necessarily a show that constantly aims to pull wool capes over viewers’ eyes in setting up brain-rattling twists, though each season features a true gobsmacker or two. It’s safe to say Season 4’s biggest doozy so far centered on the true relationship between Karl Urban’s Butcher and Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s Joe Kessler.

While I was indeed expecting something bonkers to come out of Butcher and Kessler’s sporadic conversations, with Shantel VanSanten’s Becca often in the mix, I admittedly had a completely different idea for what was actually going to be revealed. And while I legitimately love the way things went down on the show itself, I’m kinda disappointed my own theory won’t pan out.

What The Actual Joe Kessler Twist Was

With Jeffrey Dean Morgan being arguably the biggest new cast member of Season 4, his character was immediately imbued with importance. And given how closely he seemed to be working with Butcher in secret, their siloed conversations initially didn't incite suspicion, even while the latter’s V-affected sanity was being challenged due to his Becca hallucinations.

But as it was revealed in “Dirty Business” — hereby known as "the Tek Knight sex cave episode where Ashley rubbed one out tickling Hughie's feet" — the real Joe Kessler seemingly died years prior, with Butcher’s subconscious claiming that he left Kessler behind in the Panjshir Valley, and didn’t actually drag him out of harm’s way. Cue the Fight Club-esque sequence in which Urban looks like a total nutjob engaging in convos and drinks with empty space.

I feel like Omid Abtahi’s Sameer would have asked Butcher about his off-kilter behavior a ways before the tumor-laden character’s own fractured personality pointed it out. But I’ll allow that being held captive without proper sustenance is a great reason to not want to provoke one’s captor, particularly if they’re showing signs of a mental breakdown.

In any case, The Boys successfully pulled off the reveal that Butcher’s hallucinations are growing in number, making it all the more bothersome that both of the ones we know of are of people whose deaths he was acutely involved in and presumably feels guilt for. So even though it seems like JDM will be the biggest threat inside Butcher’s head, there may be bigger skeletons in that cancerous closet.

Where I Thought The Boys' Big Twist Was Going

While the Becca hallucinations were essentially the set-up for the Kessler reveal, I thought The Boys was gearing up for a completely different revelation with Becca. Without having considered the idea that Morgan was playing a mental apparition, I was thinking one of Butcher's V-related "talents" would be the power to turn his hallucinations into reality.

So I was waiting on / hoping for the point when someone would walk in on Butcher talking to Becca, and the twist would be that she wasn't just a guilt-ridden mirage, but rather a living and breathing person once more. Although not the real Becca, which would have its own weird payoffs and disturbing consequences, no doubt.

As one might imagine, I flipped out a little at the moment whenever Kessler tells Becca to shut her cake hole, thinking my theory had panned out, and that Butcher successfully mind-willed his lost love into living matter. Then I flipped out all over again once it was clear that my theory was wrong, and that instead of talking to two human beings, Butcher was arguing with 100% nothing.

No arguments here against this being a cool twist that could turn Butcher into a more unpredictable menace in the future, but I can't help but feel a little bummed out by the way things turned out. Not just because I wasn't right, since I truly think it would be a rad power for one of The Boys' Supes to be able to conjure things up Green Lantern-style. But also because it means Jeffrey Dean Morgan isn't playing an actual character here, but rather a splintered off piece of Butcher's psyche.

I'm holding out hope that we'll learn one day that the real Joe Kessler that Butcher possibly left for dead didn't actually die, and that he's out there somewhere pining for revenge against his former brother-in-arms. Which would lead to a presumably mindblowing moment for Butcher in which he comes face to face with the real Joe standing alongside his mental projection. But that's probably taking things too far for a story that's approaching its Butcher Vs. Homelander endgame in its final season.

With more reveals no doubt on the way in the final two episodes, The Boys drops new installments on Prime Video every Thursday. Head to our 2024 TV schedule to see what new and returning shows are on the way soon.

Fans of the anti-superhero comedy thriller The Boys experienced a bit of whiplash as the critically-acclaimed program – available to anyone with an Amazon Prime Video subscription – prepared to launch its anticipated fourth season. First, we were very excited to learn that The Boys Season 5 already had been confirmed. But then we learned shortly after that that showrunner Eric Kripke, who has been presiding over The Boys since it launched, would use the fifth season as the final season, bringing the battle between The Boys and The Supes to a close.

As luck would have it, we managed to score some exclusive time with Eric Kripke on the day that it was announced that The Boys would end with Season 5. We posed the question about which storyline in The Boys that Kripke was most excited about bringing to a close, and his answer made the most sense. He explained to CinemaBlend:

That has to be the answer. For while The Boys has been very creative in terms of how it has built out the world of the comic that started with Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, the core of the program has always been about Karl Urban’s Billy Butcher and his quest to bring Homelander (Antony Starr) to justice. The reason for this vendetta has evolved over the first three seasons of The Boys, and we have seen certain characters rise and fall in their importance with regard to this mission. The Boys Season 4 seems to be elevating the role of Starlight (Erin Moriarty) and introducing new protagonists. But it always has to return to Butcher versus Homelander.

But who will win? We tried to get a tease out of Eric Kripke during our conversation, asking him how he’d like to see the confrontation play out if, maybe, he wasn’t scripting the resolution. But he laughed and told us:

Fair enough. Just don’t make us wait forever to see The Boys Season 5. Yes, I know that we are just getting The Boys Season 4. But as Antony Starr told us while addressing the concept of superhero fatigue, audiences just want good storytelling focused on interesting characters and plot. We’ve embraced regular folks like Hughie Campbell (Jack Quaid), and cheered for an underdog Supe like Starlight. But I think the majority of us are turning into The Boys every season because we need know how a regular – and determined – human like Billy is going to prevail over a psychotic, super-powered threat such as Homelander.

I like the fact that The Boys has a finish line. It’s better than trying to drag a show out for longer than is sustainable. Now, let’s see how Eric Kripke lands this plane.

It’s been two years since we last saw Billy Butcher and the rest of his crew on The Boys try (again) and fail (again) to take out an increasingly dangerous Homelander, but finally, one of the best Amazon Prime original series is returning for a fourth season. As showrunner Eric Kripke up the ante in the penultimate season with more blood, more violence and more shocking Supe sex, critics seem to be divided after watching the entire eight-episode run. Is Season 4 the best yet, or will viewers grow weary of The Boys’ repetitious formula? Let’s see what they’re saying ahead of the June 13 premiere.

With Eric Kripke confirming on X (Twitter) that The Boys will end after Season 5, audiences will see a Season 4 Homelander (Antony Starr) only strengthening his stronghold over the world as the Boys grapple with myriad personal issues. Billy Butcher (Karl Urban), for one, only has months to live, making his quest to save his wife’s son Ryan (Cameron Crovetti) from Homelander all the more pressing. Trent Moore of Paste rates the season 9 out of 10, saying The Boys continues to cement its place as one of the best shows on TV. Moore writes: 

Two new Supes join the fray in Sister Sage (Susan Heyward), the smartest human on the planet, and alt-right conspiracy theorist Firecracker (Valorie Curry). As if those aren’t scary enough personas to have working with Homelander, Season 4 also brings us Joe Kessler (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) as a former associate of Billy’s who may push the Butcher to new extremes. 

Amon Warmann of Empire says to bring it on, calling the upcoming episodes the best yet and praising Eric Kripke for keeping The Boys at the top of its game with “outrageous and meaningful character drama." The critic rates the season 4 out of 5 stars, saying: 

Nick Schager of Daily Beast calls The Boys Season 4 “as outrageous as ever,” as it simultaneously takes no prisoners and still elicits sympathy for the characters and their tortured origins. It’s a tall order, but Eric Kripke comes through. Schager says: 

However, not all critics are left with such positive impressions. Emily Murray of GamesRadar says while The Boys maintains its power to shock audiences, some cracks are starting to emerge. Murray gives it 3 out of 5 stars and explains: 

Garrett Blaney of Collider agrees that no amount of gore or timely political commentary can hide the fact that The Boys’ story is getting thin. Viewers have taken the same ride again and again, and it’s time for the series to stop dangling the carrot, Blaney writes: 

Alison Herman of Variety says from the jump Season 4 feels less focused than the Soldier Boy-centric previous cycle, but what is the darkest season of The Boys yet ultimately shows the strain being put on both the series itself and fans’ tolerance for despair. Herman continues: 

While none of the Season 4 assessments are completely dire, many critics’ reactions certainly don’t match the fervor of the respective fanbases depicted on The Boys, whether you’re rooting for Homelander or Starlight and their respective teams. However, if The Boys' final two seasons don't do more than stick to Eric Kripke's tried-and-true formula, at least that's still better than much of our other TV options.

The first three episodes of The Boys Season 4 premiere June 13, with one episode dropping each Thursday thereafter. See what other premieres are coming soon with our 2024 TV schedule. 

Mortal Kombat's 2021 reboot made enough noise to warrant a sequel, and with filming recently concluded on Mortal Kombat 2, viewers are no doubt eager to see the next chapter in the violent franchise. Fortunately, the first film kept enough characters alive for there to be a sequel, and it's even brought on newcomers to play Kombatants who didn't make the first movie, like Karl Urban as the popular Johnny Cage. 

Below, we'll break down every actor confirmed so far for Mortal Kombat 2, as well as a little bit about who they're playing. Read on and remember that the first movie in this franchise is available to stream right now with a Max subscription. 

Lewis Tan

Star Lewis Tan returns as Cole Young in Mortal Kombat 2, and the descendant of Scorpion will further solidify his legacy as a notable character in the franchise at large. Tan assured the sequel would be "bigger than ever," so maybe the video games will finally add his original character after this sequel. 

Jessica McNamee

Jessica McNamee will also return to the Mortal Kombat world for the sequel, reprising the iconic Sonya Blade. Sonya acquired Kano's dragon mark in the first film when she was forced to kill her former ally, and will likely have much greater powers now that she's able to shoot energy blasts. 

Mehcad Brooks

Mehcad Brooks is likely back in the gym to work on those gains for Jax, as the mechanical-armed Earthrealm defender is back in the mix for Mortal Kombat 2. Brooks had one of the more brutal scenes of the first movie when Sub Zero froze off his arms, so here's hoping he'll get to return the favor with a brutal attack of his own on Bi-Han.

Tadanobu Asano

Thor might be the God of Thunder in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but in Mortal Kombat, that title belongs to Raiden. Tadanobu Asano returns to portray the protector of Earthrealm who works tirelessly to keep OutWorld and its evils at bay. We'll see how successful he is and which fighters he'll gather to help defend Earth this time around. 

Ludi Lin 

Ludi Lin returns as Liu Kang, and who isn't excited to see one of Mortal Kombat's most beloved characters back in action? His fatality by summoning the fire dragon made CinemaBlend's list of most insane kills from the first movie, and I do hope the character can top that in the sequel with something even wilder. 

Chin Han

Chin Han is expected back as one of the major baddies of Mortal Kombat, the Outworld sorcerer Shang Tsung. Tsung is the right-hand man to Shao Kahn and has no love lost for the people of Earthrealm or its protectors. To him, they're just in the way to his master's big plans. 

Joe Taslim

Joe Taslim is back in Mortal Kombat 2, which may strike some as odd considering he died. Well, the original Sub Zero also died in the games, and would later return as Noob Saibot. There's no official word yet if that's what's happening in the movie, so we'll have to wait and see. As a fun fact, the name "Noob Saibot" is just a word mesh backwards spelling of the last names of Mortal Kombat's creators, Ed Boon and John Tobias. 

Hiroyuki Sanada

Hiroyuki Sanada felt like the underrated star of Mortal Kombat and successfully made the hellish Scorpion into a sympathetic character. Perhaps he was always that way, but as a kid, I couldn't quit being terrified enough by his booming voice and skeleton head to look deeper. 

Josh Lawson

Josh Lawson's Kano was the comedic element Mortal Kombat really needed to offset the violence, so it was a shame to see him die even if he had turned on the rest of the humans. With that said, it's looking like he'll return for the sequel, though I'm not sure if he'll be resurrected via magic or this will just be some flashback. I won't complain about how it happens, I just need more of Kano's hilarious one-liners. 

Max Huang

Max Huang will return, presumably as Kung Lao in Mortal Kombat 2, but we don't know how yet. His soul was sucked from his body in the first movie, and I'm not entirely sure what Shang Tsung does with those souls once he obtains them. Maybe we'll see a ghost version of him or a flashback scene of him training with Liu Kang. 

Karl Urban

Despite WWE superstar The Miz's best efforts to get the role, he will not play Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2. The role instead went to Karl Urban, who is also a great choice to play the Hollywood star and protector of Earthrealm. After seeing the picture of what he'll look like as Johnny, I'm ready to see him in action. 

Tati Gabrielle

Tati Gabrielle will join Mortal Kombat 2 and step into the role of beloved classic character Jade. In the games, Jade is the bodyguard and friend of Princess Kitana, and one of Shao Kahn's assassins. I would expect her presence to be in large part because of Kahn's role in the new movie. 

Adeline Rudolph

Adeline Rudolph has joined the cast of Mortal Kombat 2 to play, Kitana. She is the daughter of Shao Kahn, princess of Outworld and pretty deadly with a fan. I would expect to see her in close proximity to Jade given their friendship and the latter's role as a protector. 

Martyn Ford

Professional bodybuilder and actor Martyn Ford will join Mortal Kombat 2 to play the evil emperor of Outworld, Shao Kahn. With a height of 6'8 and a look like he could deadlift a bar with a school bus attached on either side, it's safe to say he'll make for an intimidating figure when playing the character on the big screen. 

Desmond Chiam

Desmond Chiam is coming into Mortal Kombat 2 in a role that even seasoned fans of the franchise might not recognize. Chiam is playing the first husband of Queen Sindel, King Jerrod, who ruled over the nation of Edenia before it was lost in a Mortal Kombat tournament. Given his limited screen time in the games, I would expect his screen time in the movie to be about the same. 

Ana Thu Nguyen

Queen Sindel is an iconic character in Mortal Kombat, so it's no surprise Ana Thu Nguyen is in to play her for the sequel. But Sindel isn't just a queen, she's also a fearsome fighter few people in want to go up against. In the games, she's able to kill people with her hair, which I'd definitely want to see in the movie. 

Damon Herriman 

Damon Herriman is coming into Mortal Kombat 2 in a pretty interesting role: a necromancer known as Quan Chi. The character is equally despised amongst the Earthrealm and Outworld characters, but as someone who knows the gist of necromancy, I'm guessing he could be the key behind some dead characters returning to life. 

CJ Bloomfield

CJ Bloomfield is coming into the action-packed bloodbath as Baraka, a former leader of the Tarkatan Horde in the game lore. He's most known for his razor sharp teeth, as well as the two giant blades that extend from his forearms. Out of all the characters in the franchise, he's the most terrifying-looking. 

As mentioned, we're still waiting on the release date for Mortal Kombat 2, which wrapped production towards the end of January 2024. With that said, I'm optimistic the movie will be just as entertaining as the original, and hopefully even drum up interest for yet another movie until we have just as many sequels as the games do. 

Like so many Hollywood productions this year, Mortal Kombat 2, which kicked off principal photography in June, was forced to stop filming due to the SAG-AFTRA strike. However, with this labor dispute now over, the sequel to the 2021 Mortal Kombat reboot has finally resumed rolling cameras. Karl Urban, who’s playing Johnny Cage, celebrated returning to set by sharing a cute Instagram post.

Fresh off his reprisal of Billy Butcher in the season finale of The Boys spinoff Gen V, Urban is back to working on Mortal Kombat 2 four months after he first started bringing Johnny Cage to life. Check out the below picture from Instagram of him reunited with his cast-mates:

Urban and costars Mehcad Brooks, Ludi Lin, Adeline Rudolph and C.J. Bloomfield posed for a photo to commemorate Mortal Kombat 2 resuming production. Roughly three weeks of filming had been carried out before the actors strike ground things to a halt, but now the cast and crew of this sequel are now together and can continue this portion of the filmmaking process uninterrupted… well, aside from taking off for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This also gives us another peek at Urban’s Johnny Cage look, with the first peek being shared by director Simon McQuoid in mid-July.

Karl Urban was the first new actor to be unveiled for Mortal Kombat 2, although we already knew Johnny Cage would appear in the sequel given Mortal Kombat’s ending tease. The Star Trek and Thor: Ragnarok alum will be the third actor to play the character in a major motion picture, following Linden Ashby in 1995’s Mortal Kombat and Chris Conrad in 1997’s Mortal Kombat: Annihilation. This will be his first movie since voicing Jacob Holland in The Sea Beast, which can be streamed with a Netflix subscription.

Shortly after Urban’s involvement was revealed, word came in that Mortal Kombat 2 cast Tati Gabrielle as Jade, and that was followed by Adeline Rudolph being selected to play Kitana. Other new faces appearing in the sequel include Martin Ford as Shao Kahn, Desmond Chiam as King Jerrod, Ana Thu Nguyen as Sindel, Damon Herriman as Quan Chi and C.J. Bloomfield as Baraka. Meanwhile, the returning cast includes Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Mehcad Brooks as Jax Briggs, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, Ludi Lin as Liu Kang, and Tadanobu Asian as Raiden, among many others. 

Behind the scenes, along with Simon McQuoid reprising his helming duties, Jeremy Slater of Moon Knight and The Umbrella Academy fame wrote the script. It hasn’t been announced yet when Mortal Kombat 2 will be released, but provide there aren’t any more hiccups with filming, I won’t be surprised if it’s slotted for the latter half of the 2024 movies calendar, if not sometime in 2025. Max subscribers can stream its predecessor now.

While only two years passed between the release of Deadpool and Deadpool 2, the public is still waiting for Deadpool 3’s arrival. To be fair, there was initially uncertainty if the threeqeul would even move forward following Disney acquiring 20th Century Fox, but by late 2020, it was clear that it would indeed be included on the upcoming Marvel movies slate. Cut to the present day, we know quite a but more about what Deadpool 3 holds in store, but there’s also much about this movie that’s being kept officially secret. Unofficially, however, it’s a different story.

Rumors surrounding superhero movies are nothing new, but there’s been an especially high number of wild claims about Deadpool 3, specifically on the casting front. That’s because like Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Loki, Deadpool 3 looks like it will delve into the Marvel multiverse, which will supposedly open the door to not only reunite with other familiar faces from past Marvel movies, but also include some big-name actors playing notable roles. 

To be clear, none of the names mentioned are remotely close to being a sure thing, and some are less plausible than others. Still, as we wait for Deadpool 3 to resume production, it’s worth going over the wildest casting rumors surrounding the Merc with the Mouth’s third theatrical adventure. Also, we aren’t covering alleged character identities for confirmed members of the Deadpool 3 cast, like who Emma Corrin and Matthew Macfayden are supposedly playing.

Karl Urban And Taron Egerton As Other Versions Of Wolverine

A year ago, it was announced that Hugh Jackman will reprise Wolverine in Deadpool 3, a 180 turn from when he’d once said Logan would be his last outing in the role. It’s since been reported that Jackman will play multiple versions of Wolverine, and a more recent rumor claimed that Ryan Reynolds’ Wade will be traveling through the multiverse to find the “perfect Wolverine.” However, as established by No Way Home and Loki, not all variants look the same, which can range from slightly different facial features to being a member of a different species.

With that in mind, Karl Urban and Taron Egerton are both rumored to be playing alternate versions of Wolverine, with Giant Freakin’ Robot sharing the former’s supposed inclusion and the latter casting coming from The DisInsider. Both actors have been suggested by fans to take over as Wolverine in the MCU, and considering that John Krasinski, a popular fan choice for Mister Fantastic, was selected to play the stretchy superhero in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, it wouldn’t be completely out of left field for Deadpool 3 to do something similar with Urban and Egerton.

Lots Of Other Established Fox-Era X-Men Characters

Deadpool 3 won’t be lacking in X-Men characters, because along with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine reprisal, we’ll also reunite with Stefan Kapičić's Colossus, Brianna Hildebrand's Negasonic Teenage Warhead and Shioli Kutsuna's Yukio. But that may just be the tip of the proverbial iceberg. In May 2023, Twitter user @CanWeGetSomeToast claimed that James Marsden, Famke Janssen and Halle Berry were on deck to respectively reprise Cyclops, Jean Grey and Storm, making this threequel sound like it would be the mutant version of Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Then the following August, the aforementioned DisInsider video shared a bunch of other surprising Marvel cameos in Deadpool 3. As far as the established X-Men and Deadpool characters went, along with Janssen and Berry being mentioned again, the list included Brian Cox as William Striker, Lewis Tan as Shatterstar, Dafne Keen as X-23, Rebecca Romijn as Mystique, Patrick Stewart as Professor X and Ian McKellen as Magneto. It was clarified that all these appearances remain “unconfirmed,” and frankly, it would be bonkers if all these people showed up. And we’re only on Entry #2 of this list!

Various Fox-Era Fantastic Four Characters

The Fantastic Four didn’t have as much luck under the 20th Century Fox umbrella, but there are fans of 2005’s Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer out there (2015’s Fantastic Four, not nearly as much). So between that and all the other Fox-era Marvel movie coverage Deadpool 3 is rumored to have, it’s not terribly surprising to hear that this version of Marvel’s First Family might be getting some attention, per scooper DanielRPK (via Deadpool Updates). 

Assuming this is true, it’s unclear if the entire quartet would appear, or if we’d only see a few of the members, such as Chris Evans’ Human Torch and Michael Chiklis’ Thing. Additionally, one of the other characters mentioned in that DisInsider video was Julian McMahon’s Doctor Doom. Whether we would actually see him actually fighting the Fantastic Four again or if Wade Wilson would visit him separately is also unclear.

Ben Affleck As Daredevil

More than a decade before he was selected as the DC Extended Universe’s Batman, Ben Affleck first jumped into the superhero genre by playing the title protagonist of 2003’s Daredevil, a.k.a. Matt Murdock. Well, in June 2023, Twitter user KC Walsh shared that Affleck was seen on the Deadpool 3 set, which understandably kicked off speculation that he’d be reprising Marvel’s Man Without Fear, which Walsh said in a separate tweet was “likely,” though it couldn’t be verified at the time.

Now it’s looking like this particular casting rumor won’t pan out. In September, Walsh tweeted that Affleck was actually on the set to visit his kids and ex-wife Jennifer Garner, not suit back up as Daredevil. Why would he be seeing them there? Well, that brings us to the next person on this list.

Jennifer Garner As Elektra

Shortly after the rumor of Ben Affleck’s Daredevil reprisal started making the rounds, THR shared that Jennifer Garner will reprise Elektra, who first appeared in Daredevil, then led her own spinoff movie in 2005. Garner previously worked with Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy on The Adam Project, but when Levy was asked about if he would indeed re-team with the actress, he simply said that he’d “rather not weigh in on that.”

Of all the casting rumors on this list, this one seems the most likely to be accurate given that it originated from a major Hollywood trade publication. That’s not to say all scoops from such sources end up being true, but more often than not, if a place like THR is reporting it, then it’s likely to be the real deal. Also, one could argue Levy’s reluctance to comment on whether or not Garner is involved rather than just debunk the claim adds authenticity. 

Elizabeth Olsen As Scarlet Witch

When we last saw Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch, specifically the Earth-616 version of Wanda Maximoff, she was being buried by the collapsing Mount Wundagore, seemingly sacrificing her life to destroy all the copies of the Darkhold in the multiverse. However, it still hasn’t been officially clarified if Scarlet Witch is dead, and many fans believe we’ll see her again someday. However, evidently a different version of Wanda will appear in Deadpool 3.

That DisInsider video mentioned Wanda as one of the cameos, but a later report from Cosmic Circus alleged that we’ll see the Earth-838 version of the character instead. Deadpool 3 will supposedly return to Earth-838 to explore how that reality has become a dystopian landscape following the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. This report also mentioned that Ian McKellen will be playing the 838-Magneto, who is Wanda’s father like in the comics, and together they are members of the new Illuminati. This feels like a storyline that should be saved for another Marvel project rather than crammed into Deadpool 3, so it’d probably be worth taking this rumors with a bigger grain of salt.

Various Loki Characters

Loki Season 1 ended with the multiverse being unleashed once Sylvie killed He Who Remains, and while Season 2 will explore the direct consequences of that action, apparently some of its leading characters will find themselves meeting the Merc with the Mouth sometime afterwards. The DisInsider video mentioned that both Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson will respectively reprise Loki and Mobius, with the latter having been previously reported to appear by The Hot Mic in March 2023.

Additionally, it was reported that the Time Variance Authority mascot Miss Minutes will be in Deadpool 3, although the character’s voice actress, Tara Strong, later told Agents of Fandom she hadn’t heard about this. Whether or not Loki and/or Mobius will pop up remains to be seen, but it’s not like it would be entirely unprecedented for them to somehow be drawn into the multiversal shenanigans unfolding in the movie.

Channing Tatum As Gambit

For many years, Channing Tatum was in deck to play Gambit in Fox’s X-Men franchise, taking over the role from X-Men Origins: Wolverine’s Taylor Kitsch. Unfortunately, the Gambit movie was kept getting hit with setbacks and delays, and once Disney acquired Fox in 2019, the project was shelved. And yet, Tatum may get the opportunity to play the card-throwing mutant after all.

The aforementioned @CanWeGetSomeToast claimed the actor will appear in Deadpool 3 wearing a “comic accurate” Gambit suit. If this rumor ends up being accurate, this cameo will be similar to how Nicolas Cage appeared in The Flash as Superman, a reference to the un-produced Superman Lives. In Tatum’s case though, he obviously won’t need to be digitally de-aged.

Taylor Swift As Dazzler

Following speculation that Dazzler would appear in Dark Phoenix, the character did indeed show up, albeit as a minor player brought to life by Halston Sage. But if the word on the proverbial street is true, then Dazzler is about to get some much bigger exposure, as the DisInsider video from earlier mentioned that Taylor Swift will play her in Deadpool 3.

Now to be fair, Swift does have a few acting credits, including The Lorax, Cats and Amsterdam, and obviously casting her to play a popular mutant singer would be a no-brainer. But for now, it’s hard to say if this rumor has any merit, and even if it does end up being true, like most of the other people on this list, she’ll presumably only briefly appear rather than have a major supporting role.

Daniel Radcliffe In A “Secret” Role

Following the conclusion of the main Harry Potter film series in 2011, Daniel Radcliffe has steered clear from big franchise movies, but perhaps Deadpool 3 will end that streak. Daniel Richtman (via ComicBookMovie) alleged that the actor has snagged a “secret” role in the threequel. There’s been no shortage of thoughts on who this mysterious character might be, but one theory seems to be getting more traction.

Like Karl Urban and Taron Egerton, may fans believe Radcliffe is playing a Wolverine variant since he’s another actor who’s been frequently fancast in the role. And just like those two, along with John Krasinski as Mister Fantastic, this would give the Harry Potter actor an opportunity to bring Wolverine to life for a short spell, rather than commit to playing the character for multiple movies. It’s the best of both worlds, but for now, we simply don’t know if Radcliffe will indeed be in Deadpool 3, let alone who he’s playing.

Rest assured that if any of these casting rumors are verified, we’ll let you know. Deadpool 3 is still officially set for May 3, 2024, though that will likely change given how principal photography remains paused.

2021's Mortal Kombat teased at the end that Johnny Cage was on the way, and it didn't take long for the internet to nominate a favorite to appear in the role. WWE superstar The Miz quickly rose through the ranks on social media as a popular choice for the gig and as such, began to campaign for it. Now that the film has finally confirmed the sequel will bring on Karl Urban, the wrestler, and occasional actor, took some time to share his feelings about not getting the part. 

The Miz, who has a few movie acting credits to his name since becoming a full-time member of the WWE, spoke to ComicBook.com about missing out on the role of Johnny Cage. The Grand Slam Champion revealed his true feelings about not getting the job and how he reacted when he first saw the character was coming to Mortal Kombat 2: 

The encouragement from fans led to Miz campaigning for the role in interviews, and he even started training for the role. Of course, as a professional wrestler, it only helps to be in shape at all times, so it's not like he wouldn't have been working out in some way while waiting to hear about a potential audition. 

Unfortunately, The Miz revealed that he never even received a call to audition for Johnny Cage. Instead, he found out, like the rest of the world, that Karl Urban snagged the gig, and continued his story by revealing how he felt about the casting:

Those who watch the WWE know The Miz's in-ring personality and how that response was about as far removed from it as someone can get. Frankly, I wouldn't have blamed him one bit if he wanted to step into character to shame and berate anyone under the sun who overlooked him for the role, similar to how he does to his opponents in the ring. 

The Miz didn't do that, but rather took the high road while confirming he's a fan of The Boys and also likely someone with a Prime subscription. It's a shame he didn't get the part of Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2 considering how well his wrestling persona folds into the fighting game character, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't also excited to see Karl Urban in the role. 

Ed Boon recently shared a photo of Karl Urban with Johnny Cage's signature hairstyle and glasses, and he's looking the part. Whether or not he'll delicately walk the line of being a washed-up action movie actor looking to revive his career in an interdimensional fighting tournament remains to be seen. I'm used to seeing Urban as a badass, but Johnny Cage is a bit more than that.  I don't doubt that Urban is up for the challenge, but I still would've liked to see how someone like Miz would've played it. 

Mortal Kombat 2 is on the way, but we're still waiting on a release date. Check out the first installment with your Max subscription, but maybe keep a vomit bag handy if you're squeamish. 

Historically video game movies have struggled to impress audiences. But there have been a few glaring exceptions recently, including Simon McQuoid’s 2021 Mortal Kombat movie. A sequel is currently underway, which will introduce more beloved characters to fight to the death. And a new Mortal Kombat 2 set photo has revealed Karl Urban’s Johnny Cage look.

The ending of Mortal Kombat hinted that the titular tournament was coming, with the final scene specifically teasing the entrance of Johnny Cage. There was a ton of discourse online about who could be playing this fan favorite character, before The Boys star Karl Urban landed the gig. MK boss Ed Boon recently posted a Twitter photo with Urban, revealing his sweet hairdo and Cage’s signature sunglasses. Check it out below:

Sign me up. While Johnny Cage is somewhat of a comedic presence in the Mortal Kombat video games, Karl Urban looks totally badass in the role. And I’m eager to see him involved in some bloody action sequences, no doubt using the video game character’s signature moves and powers in the process. Bring on the splits!

The above image comes from the set of Mortal Kombat 2, which is filming in Australia. Filming began back in June, and is expected to wrap in September. Although with the Screen Actors Guild joining the WGA strike, it’s possible that the sequel will end up delayed. But maybe during that time we’ll be able to see more first looks at other characters. Hey, I’d settle for more of Urban as Johnny Cage.

The first Mortal Kombat delivered action sequences that were appropriately brutal for the bloody video game franchise. That included some horrifying fatalities, with both heroes and villains falling throughout the course of its runtime. As such, additional characters were necessary to continue the story. And there are some beloved fighters joining the fray for the sequel.

The cast of Mortal Kombat 2 includes a number of truly iconic characters joining the returning faces like Lewis Tan’s Cole Young and Jessica McNamee’s Sonya Blade. You actress Tati Gabrielle will be playing Jade, while Adeline Rudolph will portray Kitana. We’ll also be introduced to new versions of villains like Shao Khan, Queen Sindell, and Quan Chi.

Karl Urban seems like a great choice to play Johnny Cage, and he’s certainly got experience with genre work and action sequences. In addition to his ongoing role as Billy Butcher in The Boys, he also played Eomer in Lord of the Rings, McCoy in the Star Trek movies, and Skurge in Thor: Ragnarok. Smart money says he’ll be bringing that experience to Mortal Kombat 2’s action sequences.

Mortal Kombat 2 doesn’t currently have a release date. The first movie is streaming now on Max. Be sure to check out the 2023 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.

The last Mortal Kombat movie, which rebooted the franchise, wasn’t a massive blockbuster by traditional standards. However, as one of the first movies to be released by Warner Bros. under its pandemic-era plan to launch movies in theaters and on HBO Max, that’s not really a surprise. The movie was considered successful enough for the studio to greenlight a sequel. Fans are quite excited, especially with a cast photo that confirms that Karl Urban is on board to play Johnny Cage, and he looks great.

Last month, it was reported that Karl Urban was in talks to take on the role of Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 2. While nothing had come out in the weeks since indicating those talks had fallen apart, this photo, posted by producer Todd Garner, essentially acted as an official confirmation that Urban is officially on board. He posted a picture of the cast at a restaurant for dinner. Fans are, for the most part, loving the idea of Urban as Cage, but they also can’t get over how he looks. Check it out. 

The hair seems to be the thing that's catching a lot of MK2 fans. Not only has Urban ditched his beard, which he’s had on screen for the last few years in the cast of The Boys, but his hair has highlights. It's perfect for Johnny Cage but a bit unusual for Karl Urban. But generally speaking, fans are on board and are excited to see where this goes. Comments on the post include… 

• Karl Urban rocking the highlights for Johnny Cage... yeah, I could see that
• Holy shit it’s weird to see Karl Urban without a full beard lol. But I know he’s gonna kill it as JC!
• Karl Urban as Johnny Cage is perfect.
• Johnny Cage is my main! I hope and want Karl to get this right. Im sure it’ll be good. I am very interested in how Karl Urban will portray Johnny! I was one of the people praying for The Miz but I’m stoked for this movie and can’t wait!

Johnny Cage is a Hollywood actor who gets involved in the mystical fight to the death that is the Mortal Kombat tournament. He’s the most popular character from the games who did not appear in the previous film, and the Mortal Kombat ending made it clear the plan was for the character to arrive in the sequel. After that, many wondered just who would get the call to portray the famed character.

Several actors from Josh Harnett to WWE’s The Miz pitched themselves as Cage. While a few of the comments here make it clear Urban would not have been their choice. Most seem to either be very excited, or at the very least willing to wait and see how Urban does in the role. 

I don't know about you, but I'm excited to see how the actor puts his spin on Johnny Cage and continues to sport that A+ hair. As of right now, a release date for Mortal Kombat 2 has yet to be announced, but let's hope it manages to make its way to the 2024 movie schedule.

The 2021 reboot of Mortal Kombat (which is viewable with an HBO Max subscription) included some of the heaviest hitters from the video game franchise, including Raiden, Sonya Blade, Liu Kang and Sub-Zero. However, one notable name missing from the lineup was Hollywood star Johnny Cage, with screenwriter Greg Russo explaining that the character was left out because the movie already featured Josh Lawson’s Kano. However, with Mortal Kombat 2 set to begin filming soon, it’s been revealed which actor is being lined up to play Johnny in this continuity.

According to The Wrap, Karl Urban is in final talks to star in the sequel as Johnny Cage, who was teased at the end of Mortal Kombat through a movie poster for Citizen Cage. Assuming a deal is reached, Urban will become the third actor to play the character in a live-action movie, following Linden Ashby in 1995’s Mortal Kombat and Chris Conrad in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (which, believe it or not, does have its defenders). This would also make him the first new actor to be brought aboard Mortal Kombat 2., although officially speaking, the returning players from the first movie haven’t been unveiled yet.

Karl Urban, of course, is a man who knows his way around genre content, from playing Dr. Leonard McCoy in the Kelvin timeline-set Star Trek movies, to leading 2012’s Dredd as its eponymous protagonist, to appearing in Thor: Ragnarok as Skurge the Executioner. These days, he’s arguably best known for playing Billy Butcher in The Boys, the superhero series Amazon Prime Video subscribers have easy access to, but he was also heard last year as Jacob Holland in the Academy Award-nominated Netflix film The Sea Beast.

Since no plot details for Mortal Kombat 2 been revealed yet, we have no idea yet how Johnny Cage, whether he’s played by Urban or someone else, would fit into the story beyond being one of the protagonists recruited to protect Earthrealm from the villains who surface this time around. Still, there are quite a few facts one should know about Johnny Cage going into the sequel, and the screenwriter, Jeremy Slater, said he was looking to do the “definitive version” of the character. Josh Hartnett also one expressed interest in playing Johnny, but evidently the filmmakers decided to go in a different direction.

Simon McQuoid is returning to direct Mortal Kombat 2, and it’s rumored that the sequel’s other new characters will include Shao Kahn, Baraka, Kitana, Quan Chi and Sindel. Should any of these people, as well as Karl Urban’s casting, are confirmed, we’ll let you know. Until then, make sure you’re up to speed on the 2023 new movie releases, and also look over the most insane kills from the previous Mortal Kombat.

At long last, the dream of many Constant Readers may actually come true. Stephen King fans have been waiting patiently for years to see Hollywood produce a proper live-action adaptation of The Dark Tower series, and the first steps towards making that happen have been taken: Mike Flanagan and Trevor May’s Intrepid Pictures has acquired the rights to the books and are planning an adaptation as a five-season television series that is followed by a pair of feature films. As of right now we have no idea how quickly the project will come together or where it will be developed… but that’s not going to stop us from already imagining who will play all of the major characters.

Of course, when it comes to fantasy casting The Dark Tower one has to start with Roland Deschain. Idris Elba did a serviceable job playing the part in the truly terrible 2017 movie, but if we’re discussing a live-action version of the character that is more faithful to the Stephen King books, Hollywood has a number of great options to choose from. The majority of them would have to sport a pair of blue contact lenses, but here are eight actors we’d love to see play the Gunslinger in Mike Flanagan’s The Dark Tower.

Timothy Olyphant

This isn’t a ranked list, but I will unequivocally say that Timothy Olyphant is my top choice to play Roland Deschain. As proven many times over the course of his career, he can rock the hell out of a Stetson, and he’s an ace when it comes to characters with grizzle and dark swagger. His role as “Spirit of the West” in Rango directly affirmed that he has the Man With No Name energy, and that is ultimately what the performance will need. This is the role he was born to play.

Javier Bardem

Over a decade ago, Javier Bardem was cast as Roland Deschain in the Dark Tower movie that Ron Howard was set to direct, and while that didn’t end up becoming a thing, it’s a casting choice that has aged well. His on-screen presence remains as commanding and powerful as ever, and it really only works better for the part that he is older (take note that all of the actors on this list are 50 and over). His stature and demeanor has led him to deliver amazing villainous turns in his career, but he could use them in a very different and incredible way playing Roland.

Ewan McGregor

Ten years ago I probably wouldn’t have included Ewan McGregor as a potential candidate to play Roland Deschain, but his work since then has changed my attitude. Admittedly a big part of this is Doctor Sleep, which sees McGregor deliver and dark and powerful performance working in collaboration with Mike Flanagan, but I’ll also throw some credit to seeing him stoically wind-beaten in the desert playing the titular role in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series. My only question mark about his ability to play the character would be his voice – which he would have to deepen and erase his accent from.

Hugh Jackman

Assuming that Hugh Jackman’s run as Wolverine will actually come to an end with his role in the upcoming Deadpool 3, the actor is in a position to take on a new character that will define a new era of his career, and Roland Deschain could be a brilliant fit. Gunslinger vibes can be clearly registered from his performance in Logan, and he’s consistently shown throughout his career that he can play a blend of grit and ultimate warmth that the character needs.

Karl Urban

Between Lord of the Rings, Star Trek, Dredd, Thor: Ragnarok, and The Boys, Karl Urban’s genre cred is beyond reproach, but starring as Roland Deschain in Mike Flanagan’s The Dark Tower series could be the icing on the cake. He has an intimidating screen presence that the character needs, and he is capable of the necessary quiet charisma.

Jeffrey Dean Morgan

Jeffrey Dean Morgan is another actor who is cut from the Clint Eastwood cloth, and has the tough and gruff standing for the part. His time as Negan on The Walking Dead has come to an end, and, like with Hugh Jackman and Wolverine, it could be the next role that takes him into the next phase of his career. He has both the gravitas and subtle emotional range that the turn would need – from letting Jake Chambers fall to his death to continue his pursuit of the tower, to embracing Jake, Eddie, Susannah, and Oy as his family.

Josh Brolin

Between playing Cable, Thanos, Gurney Halleck, and more, Josh Brolin’s resume is already stacked with standout pop culture characters, but that’s not going to stop me from suggesting that he could be an excellent Roland Deschain (and he’s never actually been in a Stephen King adaptation before). From No Country For Old Men to True Grit to Outer Range, there is no questioning that the man is a snug fit for the western genre, and it’s effortless to imagine him playing any scene from any of the Dark Tower books. He has the stature and demeanor that the role requires in all facets.

Denzel Washington

While we’re having this discussion, we might as well take some big shots, right? At the present age of 67, Denzel Washington is admittedly considerably older than all of the actors on this list, but that doesn’t actually matter in the discussion of a relatively ageless character, and he obviously has the necessary gravitas for the part. Unlike a lot of his contemporaries, Washington has not yet brought his talents to the modern television landscape, but The Dark Tower could be an awesome fit.

Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend as Mike Flanagan’s The Dark Tower hopefully continues to take steps to get closer and closer to becoming a reality. You can keep track of all Stephen King projects that are in the works with our Upcoming Stephen King Movies and TV guide, and learn about the long history of adaptations with my weekly Adapting Stephen King column.

Star Trek 4 is on the way, trekkies! 

From the moment Star Trek, starring Chris Pine, dropped in 2009, J.J. Abrams has captivated Star Trek fans, by expanding on a beautiful universe with an amazing space adventure that showed off just how wonderful the world of Star Trek is. The last film release was way back in 2016, titled Star Trek Beyond, and for some time, it felt like another movie would never come.

However, Star Trek 4 has taken some steps towards becoming a reality, starting off with news in February 2022 and continuing to now. New details have been released about the long-awaited movie. If you’re looking for some of the latest updates on it, here are some quick things that we know about the upcoming sequel.

Star Trek 4 Was Announced To Be In The Works In February 2022

Fear not, all the loyal fans out there, as Star Trek 4 has officially been announced by J.J. Abrams. As first reported by Variety from the Paramount Investors Day Presentation in February 2022, Abrams himself said that they're “hard at work” on the new Star Trek film and that shooting for the movie will begin by the “end of the year.” 

Abrams also teased that the original cast, as well as some new players, would appear, creating a new Star Trek experience. With how much Star Trek has evolved over the last few years, thanks to new shows such as Star Trek: Discovery or Star Trek: Picard, it’s exciting to hear that the films are also going to be bringing in new characters for us to love just as much as the television shows.  

Star Trek 4 Has Been Temporarily Removed From Paramount’s Release Schedule

The original premiere date was already being pushed around for some time prior to this, but with everything sort of up in the air right now, Star Trek 4 has been temporarily removed from the Paramount release schedule, according to Deadline, as of September 2022.

In November 2021, THR reported that Star Trek 4 was delayed until December 22nd, 2023, as it had originally been slated to come out on June 9, 2023. But now, it’s unclear if it’s going to find a place on the 2023 movie release list, and there’s no new date announced.

Hopefully, we won’t need to wait long for a new release date, but I’d rather Paramount not push it so quickly if that means we need to sacrifice the quality. I can wait as long as possible.

Chris Pine Is Set To Return As The Star

It was sort of up in the air for some time whether Chris Pine was going to return to the Star Trek franchise. While he did star in the latest movies, Pine himself didn’t even know the fourth installment was in development, as reported above from The Hollywood Reporter. But, per the Deadline article above, Pine is going to star in the fourth movie. 

Pine has been doing a lot the last six years since his last appearance in the Star Trek universe. Most recently, he was a part of the Don’t Worry Darling cast, and has appeared in films such as the Wonder Woman movies, All the Old Knives, A Wrinkle in Time, and is going to be appearing in 2023’s Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, so he’s been quite busy. However, I can’t wait to see him return as James T. Kirk in Star Trek 4.

Zoe Saldana And More Are Expected To Return For Star Trek 4 

If you were wondering if any of the other stars are set to come back, the previously mentioned Variety report noted that several of the film's primary actors are in talks to return to the franchise for a fourth movie. When the film was first announced, it was a surprise to everyone from the original franchise that Star Trek 4 was even in the works, according to an early 2022 story from The Hollywood Reporter. 

In addition to Chris Pine, this includes Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, and Simon Pegg. 

Zoe Saldana has been in the superhero world for some time, appearing as Gamora in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise – which is set to have a third movie come out in May 2023. Saldana also made appearances as Gamora in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, so she’s been quite busy in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. John Cho led Cowboy Bebop on Netflix, adding on to his impressive list of TV and movie performances. Zachary Quinto has appeared in The Boys in the Band and will be featured in the upcoming season of American Horror Story: NYC.

For sure, these stars have been busy as heck and will undoubtedly be appearing in many 2022 upcoming movies and beyond, but to hear that they’re potentially going to be back for Star Trek 4 is even more exciting. 

J.J. Abrams Will Be Producing Star Trek 4

As reported by Variety, Star Trek 4 will be produced by J.J. Abrams, but not directed by him. This isn’t that much of a surprise. While Abrams did direct the first two Star Trek films, Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness, he stepped down from Star Trek Beyond to become an executive producer and handed over the directing torch to Justin Lin.

Abrams is going to be doing the same thing for Star Trek 4, working as a producer while another director takes the lead. However, this time around there will be a new person in the director’s chair, rather than Justin Lin. 

WandaVision Director, Matt Shakman, Will No Longer Be Directing Star Trek 4

Originally, it was announced that WandaVision director Matt Shakman, would be directing Star Trek 4, according to Deadline, in July 2021. However, that has since changed, as Shakman is now tacked on to direct the upcoming Fantastic Four film in the MCU, according to Deadline. 

WandaVision was a huge hit for both Disney+ and Marvel when it released in early 2021, scoring multiple award nominations and wins, and earning the love of fans everywhere, so it was exciting to see him sign on for something as big as Star Trek. But, reportedly due to time conflicts with Fantastic Four, Shakman can no longer direct. Paramount released a statement in regards to his departure. 

With this announcement, and no word since on who will direct, it’s not very surprising that the film was taken off the release schedule. But hopefully, that won't take too long.  

How To Watch The J.J. Abrams Star Trek Movies Streaming

If you’re like me and you can’t wait to see another Star Trek movie, the previous films are available to either rent or stream right now. The first J.J. Abrams Star Trek film begins the adventure, as the USS Enterprise combats a mighty force that threatens the lives of innocent people. 

Stream Star Trek on Netflix.
Rent Star Trek on Amazon.

The second film, Star Trek Into Darkness, stars the same crew when they are sent to investigate a Starfleet member who has turned into a terrorist and is causing hell for everyone. 

Stream Star Trek Into Darkness on Paramount+.
Rent Star Trek Into Darkness on Amazon.

Star Trek Beyond, the most recent entry so far in the franchise, follows the story of the Enterprise crew out on a rescue mission until it's revealed later on that it’s an attack, and now they must fight to stay alive against their enemies. 

Stream Star Trek Beyond on Amazon Prime through AMC+.
Rent Star Trek Beyond on Amazon. 

And, if for some reason that’s still not enough Star Trek goodness for you, Paramount+ has so much Star Trek content that I’m quite sure you’ll find plenty of stuff to watch until Star Trek 4 releases. 

What are you looking forward to the most with Star Trek 4? No matter who's added to the cast or when it comes out, I’m sure it’ll be a great time and we’ll get to live long and prosper together once more.  

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is always expanding, and Phase Four has been no exception. But there are a number of characters that fans are hoping to see pop up in an upcoming Marvel movie. This includes the X-Men, with fans throwing out a variety of names about who could play members of the team. Now we can see The Boys’ Karl Urban replace Hugh Jackman as Wolverine in an impressive X-Men deepfake.

Hugh Jackman played Wolverine for over 15 years, so whoever takes on the mantle will have some big shoes (and claws) to fill. But when Disney acquired 20th Century Fox and its properties, it opened the door for the Fantastic Four and X-Men to finally join the MCU. A number of names have been tossed around by the fans, including actor Karl Urban. Now we can see Urban’s face edited onto Jackman’s movies thanks to deepfake technology via YouTube. Check it out below,

I mean, how cool is that? These types of videos have been going viral for quite some time, and the clip of Karl Urban as Wolverine definitely shows why. As fans theorize who might be taking Hugh Jackman’s role, now we can see how convincing the Boys actor might look as Logan. Let’s break down what we’re being shown here.

The above video opens on footage X-Men Origins: Wolverine, instead of one of the main movies of the franchise. But rather than Hugh Jackman in the role, we see Karl Urban’s likeness. And to make things even more trippy, there are some moments where the two are side by side, and you can really examine the work done by those who edited the clip together. 

The biggest takeaway from this deepfake clip is just how well Karl Urban could pull of Wolverine’s signature hair. The clawed berserker is known for his spikey hair, which is sometimes concealed in his signature yellow costume. It was a bold look that Hugh Jackman rocked throughout his tenure as the character, and it looks like Urban has the bone structure to follow suit.

It’s currently unclear when the Marvel Cinematic Universe will really turn its focus onto X-Men and other mutants. Kevin Feige has been keeping his cards close to the chest, although the inclusion of Patrick Stewart’s Professor X in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness definitely seemed to hint that the team was coming. Fingers crossed it’ll be sooner rather than later.

While other names like Daniel Radcliffe, Henry Cavill, and Taron Egerton have been thrown around by fans as a possible fit for Wolverine, there are some folks hoping that Hugh Jackman will be convinced to return to his signature role. We’ll just have to wait and see how it all shakes out, and who is rocking the claws in the MCU.

The next installment in the MCU is Black Panther: Wakanda Forever on November 11th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

"The Boys" Season 3 stars Karl Urban (Billy Butcher), Jack Quaid (Hughie Campbell), Karen Fukuhara (Kimoko Miyashiro), Antony Starr (Homelander), Erin Moriarty (Starlight) and creator Eric Kripke dish on all the details of the new season in this interview with CinemaBlend's Law Sharma. The cast discusses changes to their characters in Season 3, what their co-stars are like behind the scenes and so much more!

Video Chapters

• 00:00 - Intro 
• 00:29 - Karl Urban Discusses The New, V’d-Up Butcher 
• 01:02 - Is There A Line ‘The Boys’ Writers Won’t Cross? Antony Starr, Erin Moriarty And Eric Kripke Discuss 
• 02:57 - Season 3 Sees A Much More Complex Kimoko, And Karen Fukuhara Was Here For It 
• 03:59 - The Advice ‘The Boys’ Cast Would Give Their Characters Going Into Season 3 
• 05:15 - Creator Eric Kripke On Why Jensen Ackles Was The Perfect Fit For Soldier Boy 
• 06:19 - Which Cast Member Is Least Like Their ‘The Boys’ Counterpart According To Antony Starr 
• 07:35 - If Jack Quaid And Karen Fukuhara Could Have Super Powers, Here’s What They’d Choose 
• 08:28 - Outro

Before cinematic universes became commonplace, the superhero genre hit theaters with the X-Men movies. While that ended back with Dark Phoenix, mutants gained the potential of joining the MCU thanks to Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox. Since then fans have theorized who might make up the team in an upcoming Marvel movie, with some hoping to see The Boys’ Karl Urban replace Hugh Jackman as Wolverine. Now Urban has responded to those fan rumors about him playing the clawed X-Man.

Hugh Jackman played Wolverine for over 15 years on the big screen, so there are some pretty big shoes to fill for whoever manages to land the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. A number of actors have been named by fans, including Daniel Radcliffe, Superman actor Henry Cavill, and (you guessed it) Karl Urban. The latter actor was recently asked by The Guardian about the calls to see him as Logan 2.0, responding with:

Well, there you have it. While Karl Urban seems thrilled to even be in the conversation surrounding who might play Wolverine in the MCU, he doesn’t seem to think he’s got much of a chance of being cast. Namely because he’s already 49 years-old at the time of writing this story. And as such, he thinks that the studio might go with a younger actor who can have a long tenure in Logan’s yellow costume.

While Karl Urban’s comments about being the same age as Hugh Jackman isn’t totally accurate, it’s easy to understand his point about the next Wolverine. Playing an action-heavy role like Wolverine requires a ton of physical work, including the potential for injuries. So perhaps Kevin Feige and company would cast a younger actor to play the role, in hopes of a long run as the character. After all, the X-Men are a fan favorite group of Marvel heroes.

Mutants were noticeably absent throughout the first three Phases of the MCU, as Fox’s X-Men franchise continued releasing new installments. But when Disney acquired the studio and its properties, Marvel fans began wondering when the X-Men would finally join the shared universe. Kevin Feige has teased that this is coming down the line, but his plans haven’t been revealed to the general public.

The first X-Men crossover moment happened in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, although it didn’t include Wolverine and/or Karl Urban. Instead, Patrick Stewart reprised his role as Professor X during the Illuminati sequence of Sam Raimi’s blockbuster. This seemingly confirmed mutants exist in the MCU, although we haven’t seen them in the main timeline.

The next installment in the MCU is Thor: Love and Thunder on July 8th. In the meantime, check out the 2022 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Star Trek fans were excited when news surfaced of Star Trek 4 finally moving forward with the entire cast in talks to return. Unfortunately, the news took a few people aback, as Chris Pine and the rest of the cast were reportedly unaware a new movie was coming. In the months after the sequel was announced, some co-stars have opened up about their status, and now Karl Urban has broken his silence over the sequel news.

The Boys actor finally discussed the unexpected news while promoting the Amazon series' upcoming Season 3 at SXSW. Like his Star Trek co-star Chris Pine, the actor revealed to Variety that he’s excited to get the gang back together. But much like Pine, there’s one thing holding him back from fully committing to the production. In Urban's words:

If there’s no script, there’s no Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy and the rest of the Star Trek crew for audiences to see. The real question is, will Urban and company officially sign on once they’ve seen the actual script? If the script is up to par with earlier installments, viewers might see the Star Trek posse back together once more. But things could go awry if the actors dislike the script and decide to pass on the movie. So far, it appears the cast, especially the Knives Out 2 actor, is ready to explore the universe for Starfleet command.

While everyone is on the same page for Star Trek 4, it will a bittersweet reunion for the cast. This will be the first of the Kelvin timeline Star Trek films not to feature Anton Yelchin (aka Chekov) after his tragic death in 2016. Zoe Saldaña opened up about filming the Star Trek Beyond sequel without her late co-star. She mentioned the late actor will be in her and the cast’s thoughts and hearts as they honor Yelchin’s love for the classic sci-fi franchise. So, while the late Charlie Bartlett actor won’t be there physically, his co-stars will keep his memory alive as they gear up to set on course again.

Of course, much like the fans, the cast only knows a few things about Star Trek 4. J.J. Abrams will produce the film with WandaVision director Matt Shakman set to helm it. The fourth film is still in development, as there’s no script, but the release date is already set for December 22, 2023. So, audiences (and the cast) will get more details when Paramount is ready to officially announce everything.

Star Trek fans haven’t been missing anything from the beloved multimedia franchise. They’ve been occupied with an array of Star Trek TV shows, including Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks and Prodigy. The shows have been keeping the fanbase busy. Star Trek 4 is reportedly set to start production in late 2022. If you want to keep in the loop about the upcoming film, you can check back with CinemaBlend.

The TV corner of the Star Trek franchise has been chugging alongside nicely over the last several years, but the last time we embarked where no one has gone before on the cinematic side of things was in 2016’s Star Trek Beyond. Well, last week brought the revelation that Chris Pine and the other main stars of the Star Trek reboot film series are in talks to reprise their roles for Star Trek 4. If this news was surprising to you, guess what? It was a shock to the actors too.

THR has heard from its sources that most, if not all of the teams associated with the headlining actors of the recent Star Trek movies were not only unaware that a Star Trek 4 announcement was coming, but that their clients would be part of the project. These parties were also taken aback that Star Trek 4 is expected to begin production before 2022 is over, as Paramount Pictures wants to deliver this movie to the masses by December 22, 2023 (it was previously dated for June of the same year). As things stand now, Chris Pine, who plays Captain James T. Kirk in the Kelvin timeline of Star Trek lore, is the first to enter early talks to board Star Trek 4 since he’s the “lynchpin to the project.” 

Furthermore, apparently Star Trek 4’s script is still being worked on, as the project doesn’t even have a budget in place yet, let alone been officially greenlit. Naturally getting Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldaña, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban and John Cho all back for Star Trek 4 won’t be cheap, but Paramount is reportedly willing to shell out that extra money if it means helping bolster the Paramount+ streaming service, which is where Star Trek 4 would eventually become available. Sadly, this will be the first of the Kelvin-era Star Trek movies not to include Anton Yelchin’s Pavel Chekov, as the actor died on June 19, 2016, just a month before Star Trek Beyond came out.

Although filmmakers Quentin Tarantino and Noah Hawley developed their own ideas for Star Trek movies that were ultimately set aside, the project moving forward as Star Trek 4 was originally supposed to be a time travel story featuring Chris Pine’s James Kirk meeting his father, Chris Hemsworth’s George Kirk, who died in 2009’s Star Trek just minutes after his son was born. However, contract negotiations between the two actors’ teams eventually fizzled out reportedly over money, although Hemsworth said in 2019 that he walked away because they hadn’t “landed on a reason to revisit that yet.” S.J. Clarkson has been hired to direct that iteration of Star Trek 4.

As things stand now, WandaVision’s Matt Shakman has been attached to direct Star Trek 4 in its current form since last July. He’ll work off a script written by Lindsey Beer and Geneva Robertson, but it’s unclear if this version of the movie has anything in common with its predecessor or if it’s a completely different beast. Either way, evidently Paramount didn’t do a great job communicating with the lead actors about the latest Star Trek 4 plans, so if you’re eager to see these versions of Kirk, Spock, Uhura, McCoy, Scotty and Sulu, cross your fingers that all sides can come to fitting arrangements.

While we wait for more updates on Star Trek 4, there’s plenty of Star Trek content to stream if you have a Paramount+ subscription. You’re also welcome to look through the lineup of 2022 movie releases to see what cinematic entertainment arriving later in the year catches your eye.

The Star Trek franchise is chugging right along on the television side, but it's more than fair to say the movie side has stagnated in recent years. Star Trek: Beyond came out in 2016, and ever since then, efforts to make Star Trek 4 have struggled. Now fans have received the most promising news yet on the next movie's development, along with the news that Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and the rest of the Kelvin-timeline crew are expected to return. 

News broke from Deadline that Chris Pine (Captain Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Simon Pegg (Scotty), Karl Urban (Dr. Bones), and John Cho (Sulu) are all in talks to return for Star Trek 4. The news was confirmed by J.J. Abrams at the Paramount Investors Day event, who added that filming on the movie is set to happen later this year. 

One notable exception from the original cast returns is that they'll be without Anton Yelchin, who passed away in 2016. Yelchin played the role of Chekov and made his final appearance as the character in Star Trek: Beyond. It's unknown at this time whether or not another actor will play Yelchin's role or if the movie will find a way to address the character's absence. 

Star Trek 4's plot is unclear at this time, though it's worth noting Paramount ran through a few publicly known ideas in the past. It's possible some of those ideas will make their way into the new movie, yet I wouldn't hold my breath for anything from Quentin Tarantino's pitch. 

One interesting pitch from the past featured a 2018 script that would reunite Chris Pine's Captain Kirk with his late father, played by Chris Hemsworth. Audiences were excited to see the two share a screen, though attempts to navigate a deal with Pine and Hemsworth never worked out. Hemsworth's name wasn't mentioned in the announcement, and with his continued work as Thor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one has to wonder if he'd be available to appear. 

Chris Hemsworth might not be in the mix, though J.J. Abrams did confirm that new characters will appear in the upcoming movie. This is purely speculation, but considering the time it took to get Star Trek 4 to this stage, one might wonder if this film might make efforts to pave the way for a new cast of younger talent that isn't as locked down with their schedules as the stars of the current franchise. One note from Variety mentioned that research from Paramount noted a lasting interest from audiences in the central cast despite the gap between films, so who knows if we'll see a passing of the torch? 

Since filming is set to kick off on Star Trek 4 later this year, it's a good time to get caught up on the franchise. Snag a Paramount+ subscription in order to see all the movies, and maybe check out a few of the new offerings the franchise has on television as well. 

Prime Video’s irreverent superhero series The Boys is finally coming back in 2022, and we have a release date for Season 3. Along with that huge announcement, the final installment of the Vought New Network digital series Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman” also gave fans plenty of other tidbits to chew on as we await Herogasm and the reveal of Jensen Ackles' Soldier Boy. Coleman gave fans a peek at how The Seven's two open spots will be filled when Season 3 premieres. 

Prime Video announced June 3, 2022, is the date The Boys fans have been waiting for since Season 2 ended, way back in October 2020. When we last saw the Supes, The Seven was down to five members, and barely that, as Black Noir was incapacitated by an Almond Joy. In the meantime, according to Seven on 7, Homelander has been publicly apologizing for his relationship with the Nazi Stormfront after Queen Maeve and Starlight got the credit for destroying her (rather than Ryan, Homelander and Becca’s son, who accidentally killed his mother when he attacked Stormfront). A-Train was also brought back to The Seven (an occasion definitely worth rapping about).

Cameron Coleman revealed that a reality competition called “American Hero” will be held, featuring ten Supes competing for the two open spots on The Seven. The contestants are likely familiar names to fans of the comic series: Luckless, Livewire, Jetstreak, Europo, Moonshadow, Lone Star, Critter, Silver Kincade, Pit Stop and ex-boy band member Supersonic, who happens to be Starlight’s ex-boyfriend. Starlight will apparently host the series, which will certainly involve some kind of conflict, especially with her history with Supersonic. Check out the announcement on “Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman” for yourself. 

The final Seven on 7 with Cameron Coleman included some other fun bits for fans. It continued its fake advertisements, this time promoting the Chuck E. Cheese-esque Buster Beaver’s Pizza (yeah, I hear you laughing). It also appears Hughie and The Boys, predictably, will still be taking a lot of heat when it comes to holding Supes accountable for their actions, if the fictitious anchor’s interview was any indication. 

Crimson Countess got another name-drop, as Cameron Coleman announced she will be launching the chimpanzee refuge Chimp Country outside New York City this year. Her last venture mentioned on the Seven on 7 series had her singing about Supe history at Vought Land: The Super Park.

The end of the segment was more than a little concerning. Cameron Coleman signed off, having received a promotion at VNN but promised, “From those red, white and blue ashes, a mighty American phoenix will rise.” The feed cut to Homelander and Starlight at a photo op, with publicist Ashely Barrett looking obviously disturbed as the cameras flashed on a horrifying Homelander’s toothy grin. For just a split second before the video cut, Homelander’s smile faltered. 

What does it all mean, and why do we have to wait so long to find out? The Boys Season 3 will premiere Friday, June 3, with three episodes dropping on Prime Video that day and then one new episode each Friday after for the duration of the eight-episode run. Be sure to check out our 2022 TV Schedule to keep up to date on all your favorite shows’ premieres.

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside without worrying about your head exploding or your face being sliced in half by laser-vision, The Boys is giving Prime Video subscribers more over-the-top chaos to look forward to in the form of a brand-new spinoff fittingly titled Diabolical. This one is completely unrelated from the other spinoff that's currently in development, and it looks like creator Eric Kripke (along with executive producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg) put this together on the down low, as we won't be waiting very long to see it come to life. Pun intended, probably.

While it's not exactly clear what fans can look forward to seeing when Diabolical takes control of our peepers, the announcement revealed the new shortform animated series will focus on "unseen stories" from within The Boys' sordid fictional universe. Considering we've only had two seasons of actual episodes, and considering the flagship series has only dipped its toes (or whatever body parts) into the larger character pool of the comic book series, Diabolical could give streaming audiences all manner of twisted storytelling. Though probably nothing that feeds too heavily into Jensen Ackles' new Season 3 character Soldier Boy, or any other to-be-revealed characters. 

To make up for the mysteries, though, Prime Video has revealed the all-star team of creators who put the eight Diabolical episodes together, including the aforementioned team of Rogen & Goldberg, as well as the comic's co-creator Garth Ennis. Check out the full list below!

• Awkwafina
• Garth Ennis
• Eliot Glazer and Ilana Glazer
• Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen
• Simon Racioppa
• Justin Roiland and Ben Bayouth
• Andy Samberg
• Aisha Tyler

That's a veritable buffet of comedic talent who could (and will) easily make The Boys-verse even more bonkers and loopy. As the co-creator of the yet-to-cross-over Rick and Morty and Solar Opposites, Justin Roiland is destined to co-craft an unforgettable installment alongside Blark and Son's puppet maestro Ben Bayouth. Not to mention SNL and Brooklyn Nine-Nine genius Andy Samberg, who will hopefully bring some of his Lonely Island musicianship to Diabolical. The hilarious Aisha Tyler gets to show off her superfandom with her own episode, which will no doubt rock. The same goes for eps penned by Comedy Central regs Awkwafina and the Glazers. And don't sleep on Invincible and Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance writer Simon Racioppa, either.

We can only hope that at least one of these pays off The Boys' spoofy take on Marvel's What If...?, though it's understandable if rights issues make that harder to pull off. Although Eric Kripke did say in his statement below that rules aren't a thing with this kind of project, so maybe...

You can check out Karl Urban himself sharing the news in a video that went public during Prime Video's virtual panels for CCXP Worlds 2021

Without a premiere date set just yet, it's likely Diabolical will have The Boys fans ranting and raving at some point early in 2022. Until we find out more, you can check out the first two seasons on Prime Video now, as well as peeping out all the premieres dates for everything set to arrive in the new year.

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The superhero genre is a behemoth force in the entertainment world, with a number of shared universes currently vying for box office supremacy. As such, plenty of A-listers have played comic book characters, while there are countless fan theories about future appearances. Rumors recently swirled that Keanu Reeves was offered a movie as Spider-Man foe Kraven the Hunter, although there are some fans who are actually more excited about Karl Urban possibly landing the role.

Karl Urban has had a long and successful career in film, and has made headlines over the past few years for starring as Billy the Butcher in Amazon's dark superhero show The Boys. He also made his MCU debut in Thor: Ragnarok, and some moviegoers are hoping that he gets to play Kraven on the big screen. Fans took to social media to explain their preference of Urban over the great Keanu Reeves, saying:

While seeing Keanu Reeves as a comic book hero or villain is sure to make even the most casual fan excited, you've got to admit that Karl Urban would also be great as Kraven the Hunter. He's proven his ability to play a gruff human who is focused on taking down a superhero. Although this time instead of the villainous Homelander, Urban would be going after everyone's favorite neighborhood Spider-Man.

The above Tweet is a hot take that came as the internet went ablaze over rumors of Keanu Reeves getting his very own Kraven the Hunter movie in the Sony Spider-Verse. Said rumors haven't been confirmed by the studio, with one rep telling CinemaBlend they had no knowledge about this possible casting. And as conversation continues online, Karl Urban is another great choice to bring the iconic Marvel villain to life.

The MCU, including Karl Urban's performance in Thor: Ragnarok, is currently available on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Kraven the Hunter is a Spider-Man rogue who has clashed with the web slinger various times on the page. He's the ultimate big game hunter, who becomes fixated with killing Spidey as the ultimate prize. Rather than having any superpowers, he's equipped with various weaponry, and is an expert marksman and combatant. In addition to both Keanu Reeves and Karl Urban, some fans are also hoping that Hugh Jackman might return to the superhero genre as Kraven.

This is another possibility that would no doubt please comic book fans out there. Moviegoers have been missing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine since his final bow in Logan, and it would be awesome to see him return to the genre as a villain. And just like Karl Urban, he's got the physicality and experience to pull off the character's first live-action adaptation.

Of course, we'll have to wait and see if Kraven is actually brought to life in the live-action, either in the Sony-Verse of the MCU proper. Black Panther's Ryan Coogler originally wanted to include the villain in his Marvel debut, while Spider-Man director Jon Watts has also expressed his interest in adapting Kraven. But if the characters gets a solo flick as Sony, neither of those plans will come to fruition.

Spider-Man 3 is currently filming and is expected to arrive in theaters on December 17th. In the meantime, check out our 2021 release list to plan your next movie experience.

Part of the fun in watching The Boys is not just how well it pokes fun at real issues of the modern day through a comic book fantasy lens, but how it also takes aim at popular superhero movie franchises. For me, though, those cheeky references only do more to help me picture the cast as famous heroes (and villains) from DC Comics or characters the new continuity of Marvel movies have yet to introduce.

I should mention, however, that the corrupt “supes” and (mostly) powerless CIA squadron covertly taking them down in the hit Amazon Prime original, technically, are already DC characters - or once were, at least. Garth Ennis’ comic book series that inspired The Boys was originally a property of the DC-owned brand Wildstorm for its first six issues before getting picked up by Dynamite Entertainment. Of course, the likes of Billy Butcher or Homelander were still never part of the same universe as Batman or Wonder Woman, so we are still safe to imagine the the actors who play them in the DCEU or the MCU, respectively.

That is just what we intend to do with the following 11 stars from what I personally consider to be the finest-written series on television (or streaming, to be precise). Yet, as big a fan of The Boys (and comic book-related content in general) as I am, I did not initially realize that some of its main leads actually have dipped their pen in either the DC or Marvel ink before. I did, however, recognize our first actor on the roster as the one who has taken a dip in both worlds.

Karl Urban - Vandal Savage (DC)

He has been Skurge from Thor: Ragnarok, William Cooper in the adaptation of DC-Wildstorm’s Red, and the title character of Dredd, but The Boys’ leader, Billy Butcher, may be the most entertaining comic book character Karl Urban has brought to life yet. If the New Zealander ever wanted to try out a more “official” DC character for size (in live action, that is), I would recommend underrated Golden Age villain Vandal Savage - an immortal with unprecedented influence on all that is evil dating back to the days of the caveman.

Jack Quaid - Human Torch (Marvel)

Playing the meek, but vengeful, Hughie Campbell on The Boys is a bit of an overcorrection for Jack Quaid (son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan), whose debut role was the kid who killed Rue in The Hunger Games. For that reason alone, he might want to continue the hero schtick, but maybe instead as someone more powerful and boastful, like Johnny Storm - otherwise known as the Human Torch in the Fantastic Four, whose eventual MCU introduction is more anticipated than just about any other property.

Erin Moriarty - Supergirl (DC)

There is not as much anticipation for another big screen appearance of Clark Kent’s cousin, Kara Zor-El, since Melissa Benoist has, arguably, played her to perfection on The CW’s Supergirl, which is approaching its final season. With the chance of a reboot up for grabs, I would say that former Jessica Jones star Erin Moriarty’s performance as Starlight on The Boys has served as a great audition tape to be the Kryptonian heroine for the DCEU.

Antony Starr - Hyperion (Marvel)

New Zealand-born former Banshee actor Antony Starr had never before played a character quite as animated as Homelander, who is essentially The Boys’ version Superman if he were a total bastard. Hyperion, a Marvel character commonly referred to as the publisher’s own Superman due to many distinct similarities, started off that about the same way before becoming a more heroic figure - though I think it might be an even more fun idea for the MCU to see Starr portray his original, more villainous incarnation for their own chance to lampoon the Kryptonian.

Laz Alonso - Steel (DC)

Speaking of which, when Superman famously died in the 1990s, one hero who stepped forward to fight in his honor was armored mortal John Henry Irons, who would come to be known as Steel. Even though Laz Alonso (a scene-stealer on The Boys as Mother’s Milk) has been in a DC movie before (but just barely) as a morgue security guard in Constantine, he would be my first choice for a much-deserved second chance at a big screen adaptation after the failed first attempt in 1997 with Shaquille O’Neal.

Karen Fukuhara - Psylocke (Marvel)

Not many fans regard the live action debut of Elizabeth “Betsy” Braddock, called Psylocke for her telepathic abilities, in X-Men: Apocalypse too highly either (not to blame Olivia Munn) and, quite frankly, I also do not think too highly of how Karen Fukuhara’s role as DC sword-wielder Katana was handled in Suicide Squad. Maybe, as a way to make up for each lackluster portrayal, the MCU could cast The Boys actress in a future X-Men movie as a version of Psylocke that combines the original Braddock with her later incarnation via body-swap, Kwannon.

Tomer Capon - Nitro (Marvel)

The character closest to Karen Fukuhara’s role as The Boys’ resident “supe” Kimiko is the group’s explosives expert (among other technical talents), Frenchie. As I see it, the coolest way for Israeli actor Tomer Capon to one-up that role is to play Captain Marvel villain and literal human bomb, Nitro.

Dominique McElligott - Hawkgirl (DC)

I am not sure if there is a way that Irish actress Dominique McElligott could one-up playing Queen Maeve (one of the more complex and actually admirable members of The Seven) on The Boys, if not by replacing Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. On the other hand, there is the chance to play winged warrior Hawkgirl in the Golden Age superheroine’s big screen debut, which the announcement of Hawkman appearing in Black Adam shows signs of happening at some point.

Chace Crawford - Iceman (Marvel)

The push for more LGBTQ+ representation in the MCU also shows signs that a more faithful portrayal of Iceman in a future X-Men installment may also be on the way and I think Chace Crawford has the charm and range to be a great choice for that role. I mean, it is either that or play Namor the Summariner, which already would be too similar to his aquatic character, The Deep, on The Boys.

Jessie T. Usher - Static (DC)

I especially hope the next superhero role Jessie T. Usher would take on is nothing like his The Boys character, A-Train - who accidentally, but without much of an apology, obliterated Hughie’s girlfriend Robin with his superhuman speed in the first few minutes of the pilot. I think a great well-natured alternative would be Static - a young electricity wielder who had a successful animated series in the early 2000s, but not much else in the realm of adaptations so far.

Nathan Mitchell - Tombstone (Marvel)

At least the black albino criminal Tombstone has gotten to be in the popular Spider-Man video game and briefly in the Oscar-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but not in a live action setting, which is a shame because he has one of the most strikingly sinister appearances of any Marvel villain. That sounds to me like the perfect follow-up comic book movie role for Nathan Mitchell, who has never once been seen nor heard on The Boys as the mysterious Black Noir.

What do you think? Is going from an unspoken stint as Black Noir to the viscerally frightening Tombstone the right transition for Nathan Mitchell, or do all of these actors deserve better Marvel or DC roles than I have chosen for them. Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the cast of The Boys, as well as even more hypothetical comic book movie casting sessions, here on CinemaBlend.

I do not think that I have ever anticipated the return of a show more than I am looking forward to The Boys Season 3 to premiere. This is mainly because I strongly believe the Amazon Prime original is the best series currently on television (well, streaming, more accurately), and not just for the engrossing writing, the cinematic production value, and the brilliant dual satire of superhero culture and real-life American culture, but also for The Boys’ cast.

The people chosen to breathe life into the characters from Garth Ennis’ popular comic book (first published by DC’s Wildstorm in 2006 before being picked up by Dynamite Entertainment until 2012) are either veterans of the big and small screen, more obscure newcomers, or even Hollywood royalty. The one thing that they all have in common is turning out such impassioned performances on The Boys that, depending on the nature of their role, is almost too believable for their own reputation. I think if I have ever had the chance to talk to Homelander actor Antony Starr, I would be severely overwrought with a combination of anger and fear that would only subside by a reminder that he is not actually a sociopathic mutant, but just really good at his job.

In fact, there are plenty other movies and TV shows that prove the range of his talents, and that of his co-stars, that you may have forgotten about or even had not heard of before. If you were curious to explore previous efforts from the cast of this ingeniously witty and shockingly morbid series while the wait for its third season, allow us to point you in the right direction of where they are currently available to rent or stream. Let's look at some of the other movies and TV shows featuring The Boys cast and how you can watch them while you wait for Season 3.

Karl Urban (Billy Butcher)

Even if you did not know Karl Urban by name before he appeared as The Boys’ leader, Billy Butcher, you surely recognized the New Zealander from something. Perhaps it was from his role as Eomer in the latter The Lord of the Rings sequels, or as Vaako in The Chronicles of Riddick, Skurge in Thor: Ragnarok, or as the title role of Dredd.

Stream The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, and The Chronicles of Riddick on HBO Max and Thor: Ragnarok on Disney+. *

*Rent Dredd on Amazon.

Jack Quaid (Hughie Campbell)

Funny how Jack Quaid (the son of Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan) plays such a meek hero in The Boys when his debut role in The Hunger Games was Marvel, the hatefully violent career tribute who killed Rue. Later on, he would party with Alice Cooper on HBO’s short-lived inside look at the music business, Vinyl, helped a redneck Channing Tatum rob a NASCAR arena in Logan Lucky, and can also be heard as the voice of Richie Rich on the Netflix animated series Harvey Girls Forever!

Stream Vinyl on HBO Max, Logan Lucky on Amazon Prime, Harvey Girls Forever! on Netflix, and The Hunger Games on IMDb TV.

Erin Moriarty (Annie January/Starlight)

Playing a hero in The Boys must be a refreshing change of pace for Erin Moriarty after playing a victim on Season 1 of Jessica Jones - another gritty TV series adapted from a comic book. The Starlight actress is also well-known as Audrey, the daughter of Woody Harrelson’s Martin Hart, on True Detective and the love interest of Viggo Mortensen’s son (played by 1917 star George McKay) in the quirky indie drama Captain Fantastic.

Stream Jessica Jones on Netflix, True Detective on HBO Max, and Captain Fantastic on Hulu.

Antony Starr (Homelander)

Coincidentally, Antony Starr has played a bad guy posing as a good guy before The Boys, having led the cast of Cinemax drama Banshee as a comparatively more likable ex-con pretending to be a sheriff. Probably the New Zealand-born actor’s most best-known big screen role was Billy Newwood in Without a Paddle, whose death reunites childhood friends (played by Seth Green, Matthew Lillard, and Dax Shepard) in the 2004 adventure comedy.

Stream Banshee on Max Go. *

*Rent Without a Paddle on Amazon.

Dominique McElligott (Queen Maeve)

Starring as the only other member of The Seven worth rooting for (after Starlight) is Irish actress Dominique McElligott, who has never played anyone quite like her The Boys role who, unlike her House of Cards character Hannah Conway, hates social media attention and would probably prefer to get as much screen time as astronaut Sam Rockwell’s wife does in Duncan Jones’ chilling sci-fi drama Moon. Lily Bell, a widow struggling to survive a man’s world, on the AMC western series Hell on Wheels is probably the one character of McElligott’s who best resembles Queen Maeve, without the super strength.

Stream House of Cards and Hell on Wheels on Netflix. *

*Rent Moon on Amazon.

Jessie T. Usher (A-Train)

Before playing The Boys’ selfish, unapologetically murderous answer to The Flash, Jessie T. Usher seemed to make a name for himself playing the descendent of iconic black heroes from blockbuster movies, such as Dylan Hiller, the son of the late Steven Hiller (Will Smith), in Independence Day: Resurgence and J.J., the grandson of Richard Roundtree’s legendary titular cop in 2019’s Shaft with Samuel L. Jackson as his father. That same year, he also got to star alongside Jackson and fellow MCU vet Anthony Mackie in The Banker, a fact-based drama about racial injustice in the 1960s.

Stream Shaft on Max Go and The Banker on Apple TV+. *

*Rent Independence Day: Resurgence on Amazon.

Laz Alonso (Mother’s Milk)

With a scene-stealing performance as Mother’s Milk, Laz Alonso has come a long way from his early appearance in Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood. He would follow that hilariously titled, straight-to-video sixth installment of the horror-comedy franchise with more respected roles, such as in Stomp the Yard and in international sensation Avatar as Tsu’tey.

Stream Leprechaun: Back 2 Tha Hood on HBO Max and Avatar on Disney+. *

*Rent Stomp the Yard on Amazon.

Chace Crawford (The Deep)

Playing The Boys’ sleazy parody of Aquaman is a far, far stretch over the ocean from Chace Crawford’s breakout television role as the friendly and trustworthy Nate Archibald on The CW hit Gossip Girl. In fact, The Deep has a bit more common with Tyler Simms, Crawford’s character from his 2006 feature film debut The Covenant, but only because they both have supernatural powers.

Stream Gossip Girl on Netflix. *

*Rent The Covenant on Amazon.

Tomer Capon (Frenchie)

The Boys was, more or less, American television audiences’ introduction to Frenchie's Tomer Capon, who was otherwise known for TV shows based in his home country of Israel, such as Fauda and When Heroes Fly - both of which are exclusively available to stream in the states on Netflix. The actor also has a role in A Tale of Love and Darkness, the feature-length directorial debut of Natalie Portman.

Stream Fauda, When Heroes Fly, and A Tale of Love and Darkness on Netflix.

Karen Fukuhara (Kimiko Miyahsiro)

I don’t know about you, but I would consider Karen Fukuhara’s turn as The Boys’ resident “supe,” Kimiko as a major step-up from her other most famous comic book role - Katana in 2016’s Suicide Squad - even though their dialogue equals to about the same amount. You can still hear the Los Angeles-born actresses’ voice (for once) in the Netflix animated adventure series She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts.

Stream Suicide Squad on HBO Max and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power and Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts on Netflix.

Nathan Mitchell (Black Noir)

Also managing to give a memorable performance without speaking a word is Nathan Mitchell, who tackles his most mysterious and sinister comic book role to date on The Boys after a small recurring spot on iZombie and playing loose cannon vigilante Isaac Stanzler on Arrow. He also starred as an angel in two episodes of Supernatural and is credited as “Black Gentlemen Ninja” in 2017’s Psych: The Movie, which could be considered a precursor to Black Noir in some ways.

Stream iZombie, Arrow, and Supernatural on Netflix and Psych: The Movie on Peacock.

Aya Cash (Stormfront)

Coincidentally, You’re the Worst (an FX romantic comedy series starring Aya Cash) would be exactly how I would describe her character Stormfront, who might actually be the most despicable supe on The Boys so far because at least Homelander is not a Nazi… by the literal definition, that is. The actress plays far more likable people in The Wolf of Wall Street (as Jordan Belfort’s assistant Janet) and the Shudder exclusive horror-comedy Scare Me.

Stream You’re The Worst on Hulu and Scare Me on Shudder. *

*Rent The Wolf of Wall Street on Amazon.

What do you think? Do you think you can survive the wait for Season 3 of The Boys by streaming or rent all of these movies and TV shows starring its main cast, or do you think patience will be more on your side than any of these titles? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check back for additional information and updates on the superhero show to end all superhero shows, as well as even more of our recommendations of what you can stream or rent right now, here on CinemaBlend.

Right now, we have a Wolverine void in the MCU. With the acquisition of 20th Century Fox by Disney, suddenly Marvel finds itself with the rights to both the X-Men and Wolverine. So, it’s only inevitable that this void will eventually be filled by whomever Marvel decides to cast. In my mind though, the only choice is The Boys’ Karl Urban. Here are some reasons why he should be the one to succeed Hugh Jackman as Wolverine as Marvel moves forward.

Karl Urban Has The Lovable, Loner Jerk Part Down

If there’s one thing an actor has to excel at when playing Wolverine, it’s convincing an audience to love an anti-social jerk. That’s a tough sell, but it’s something Hugh Jackman figured out how to do increasingly well as he played the character.

To a degree, Karl Urban has proven he can do this by playing Billy Butler on The Boys. Billy Butcher is the ultimate rough-around-the-edges loner who's willing to do anything to achieve his mission. But underneath that hard exterior is a guy who's hurting after he lost his wife. Karl Urban’s performance is almost uncanny in how it mirrors Wolverine’s character.

Wolverine is the ultimate loner in the X-Men. In contrast to Cyclops, he plays by his own rules and often pushes the moral envelope. It’s not enough to just have him growl and slash people. He needs to be a difficult wild-card for the X-Men, and he needs to be a constant thorn in their side.

In The Boys, Karl Urban relishes playing this kind of role. He’s tough, plays by his own rules and often does whatever he wants regardless of what his team says. This kind of attitude is a necessity for Wolverine. If someone wants to fill Hugh Jackman’s shoes, they’re going to have to grab the bull by the horns and find ways to make Wolverine an even bigger jerk than Hugh Jackman did.

The Boys Actor Can Pull Off The Look

Wolverine has a very specific look, and Hugh Jackman nigh-perfected it throughout his 17-year tenure. He’s typically grizzled, unkempt, bearded and looks like a lumberjack who cut down a few trees with his adamantium claws. Sure, there’s plenty of actors who could be transformed to look this way, but Karl Urban is one of the rare few where we’ve seen it already in action.

Again, Karl Urban showcased a lot of these features on The Boys. Billy Butcher looks so similar to Logan, all they’d have to do is give him some claws and he’d be ready to slice and dice to his heart’s content.

At the same time, there are definitely places they haven’t gone yet; specifically, Wolverine’s iconic yellow uniform. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine wore uniforms, of course, but they were typically black or nondescript. With Karl Urban, they could have a chance to dive into this look and embrace it. Whatever they choose, Karl Urban would fit the look perfectly.

Karl Urban's Funny In A Sardonic Sort Of Way

You can’t really have Wolverine without that dry, dark and sardonic sense of humor. It’s not as easy as it looks, especially since Wolverine often likes to make jokes about stabbing things. The role needs an actor who knows how to deliver the lines and can get the timing right. If you cast an actor who doesn’t have a funny bone in his body, then you’ve already lost the battle.

Hugh Jackman figured this out right off the bat and always did a great job delivering one-liners and bringing a little levity to a character who's rough around the edges.

Before The Boys, one of the only times we got to see Karl Urban’s comedy skills was in Star Trek. Bones has that grumpy, cynical humor that’s a constant thorn in Captain Kirk’s side, and Karl Urban was a wonder at it. The Boys helped him double-down on humor in increasingly dark ways. And to be clear, his style of humor, which is similar to Wolverine's, is less laugh-out-loud funny and more drier. It’s playful, but it has a serious edge to it.

Since the MCU is known for its humor, this is one element they can’t afford to screw up. If those in charge cast an actor who's too serious with no sense of humor, they may have lost the war. But, cast Karl Urban as Wolverine, and they can easily check this box off the list.

He Has Solid Acting Chops

Karl Urban’s been acting since he was a kid, and he started taking it more seriously after high school. His career really started taking off, though, after playing Eomer in Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.

From playing Bones in Star Trek to the stone-cold Judge Dredd, and now starring as Billy Butcher in The Boys, he’s tackled a variety of characters throughout his career and done a good job of bringing varying levels of nuance to the roles.

More importantly, with Billy Butcher, he’s found a way to reveal a softer side to the tough-as-nails character and gave him some real emotional depth, allowing us to empathize with his plight. This is key for a character like Wolverine, who’s often hard on the outside with a mushy middle. As a cherry on top, Karl Urban knows a thing or two about action movies, putting him in a sweet spot to take over the Wolverine role.

He Has Name Recognition, But Isn’t A Huge Star Yet

The problem with casting Wolverine is knowing whether you want to get a big star or an unknown. If you get too big of a star, you might struggle with other problems, like scheduling conflicts and overshadowing the rest of the cast. If you cast an unknown, you might put the actor in way over his head and set the poor guy up for failure, especially if he’s unable to get out from underneath Hugh Jackman’s large shadow.

Karl Urban is in a goldilocks zone in his career right now. He has name recognition from Star Trek and now The Boys, but he’s not a huge household name yet, like Keanu Reeves or Tom Hardy would be. In my mind, this is a win-win situation.

Karl Urban wouldn’t be wet behind the ears like an unknown, but he also wouldn’t be so well-known that he’d make it hard for lesser-known actors in the cast to stand out. He’d fit right in. Plus, he’s at that point in his career where he could easily headline his own standalone Wolverine movie without batting an eye. After all, he’s headlined other action movies before, like Dredd, and did a great job. An unknown might struggle with that.

Why Marvel Needs To Make Things Right With Karl Urban

I’ll be honest, I have a bit of a bone to pick with Marvel. The way they cast Karl Urban as Skurge in Thor: Ragnarok wasted his talents, and then just killing him off in the end was unacceptable. Karl Urban deserves better than what he got in that movie.

To make it right, Marvel Studios needs to cast Karl Urban to play Wolverine. Is that too much to ask? He’s given knockout performances in the past, but now with his role as Billy Butcher in The Boys, I feel like he’s proven that they made a mistake casting him as Skurge.

I know some might say it would be weird if they cast him as Wolverine after he played Skurge, but I don’t think so. For one, I doubt many people outside of the intimate fanbase will remember him playing Skurge anyway. His character was mostly pointless in Thor: Ragnarok. Plus, audiences have come around to accepting one actor playing multiple superhero characters. Chris Evans certainly got a pass for playing both The Human Torch and Captain America.

Casting Karl Urban to play Wolverine would be a sweet comeback for the actor in the MCU, and it would rectify the mistake of casting him as Skurge and then killing him off. But on top of that, it would also be the right choice for the role, making everything fit into place nicely.

Wolverine is a highly sought-after role. I’m sure there’s a line out the door with hundreds of actors desperate to nab it. Of those people, I bet there are some great candidates to wield the claws and the scowl. In my mind though, Karl Urban beats them all and might be the only one to get out of Hugh Jackman’s shadow and make the role his own.

Everyone who watches The Boys knows that it’s a special show. Among all of the bodily explosions, dark humor and complete insanity, however, there is also already a lot of depth about hero worship and other societal issues which have continued to make the Amazon hit feel way more real than a lot of other superhero shows. While the new season has already brought us several treats, star Karl Urban has just revealed that there will also be a Lord of the Rings reunion happening in Season 2, as actor John Noble will be making his way to the series.

The Boys has been all about family and other close relationships in its second season, so it should come as no surprise to fans that even more relatives are on the way. Karl Urban broke the news on Instagram recently that his Billy Butcher (who’s been dealing with a lot of family trouble this season) will soon be getting an on-screen dad in the form of his former Lord of the Rings co-star, John Noble. Take a look!

Noble will be joining the cast soon, too, as his Sam Butcher will step into the action (somehow) during Episode 7. If the erstwhile Denethor, Steward of Gondor, doesn't look familiar to you, then you likely recognize John Noble from several other projects. This includes his five-season stint on Fringe, as well as roles on shows like 24, Sleepy Hollow, Legends of Tomorrow, The Blacklist and Elementary.

What we don’t know right now is just how much of John Noble’s Sam Butcher we’ll be treated to as Season 2 wraps up, or how the character that Karl Urban described as “a brutal force of nature” will impact the action. When we last saw Billy, he was, indeed, enjoying some family time as he considered retiring from his long-time mission of trying to take down The Seven. While it’s possible that his father could come in sweetly during the next episode, that description of Sam (along with pretty much every damn thing about The Boys) says that that’s as close to an impossibility as can be.

In the comics, Sam was abusive and frequently beat Billy’s mom as the young child listened. This led to Billy resenting his dad and becoming closer to his mother and her side of the family. It also led to Billy acting out in school and eventually developing some of the same anger issues Sam had, to the point where Billy once seriously considered trying to kill the elder Butcher.

While The Boys has certainly deviated from its source material before, this set up makes it sound like Billy and Sam might not have the best reunion when we first see him. But, considering how deep Billy’s hatred goes for Vought and everything surrounding The Seven, I can totally see him using his old man’s brutality to his advantage against his enemies if he can.

Season 2 will continue on Amazon this Friday, and we can all see then how John Noble and Karl Urban meet on the gloriously bloody and wackadoo playing field that is The Boys. For more on what to watch in the coming weeks, be sure to check out our guide to fall TV!

Spoilers below for The Boys' sixth episode of Season 2, so be warned!

Just about everyone who sits down to watch an episode of The Boys is prepared to see and hear things that they would not find on any other TV show out there, from boats driving through whales to The Deep's singing duet with his own gills to Stormfront's twisted story. Still, I doubt that even hardcore fans of Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson's comic book expected Season 2 to introduce the well-endowed supe Love Sausage by having his dong nearly choke out one of the main protagonists.

In Episode 6, some of the crew took a trip to the Sage Grove Center, the psychiatric hospital housing untold numbers of patients with Compound V-related powers. (Not everyone gets to survive with them, of course, thanks to Stormfront and Shawn Ashmore's newly introduced Lamplighter.) One of those patients was Love Sausage, a giant Russian ex-cop whose superheroic claim to fame is his giant penis...if the name wasn't already enough to sell that idea. In the midst of all the break-out chaos, Laz Alonso's character Mother's Milk finds himself being throttled by the impossibly long and flexible genitalia, and the actor thinks that Karl Urban set that sequence up as a prank. Alonso told EW that particular moment was not included in the episode script that he'd read, saying:

Famous last words, Laz Alonso. Anybody who watched the episode definitely saw Mother's Milk struggling to survive as an extremely veiny and gross-looking penis was wrapped around his windpipe, which I seriously doubt Frenchie will let him forget about for the rest of his life. But Alonso wasn't wrong when he said the scene wasn't included in the original draft of the script, as Eric Kripke confirmed that Love Sausage's inclusion came around late in the writing process, as the writers were trying to figure out a way to add more flavor (as it were) to the Sage Grove sequence.

So whenever Laz Alonso finally got around to reading the updated version of the Episode 6 script, he realized that Karl Urban's penis-around-the-neck jokes were most definitely based in reality. Here's how Alonso put it:

For what it's worth, Eric Kripke denied that it was a Karl Urban-originated prank, but did say that it was "really funny" all the same. Kripke also said they made a 10-foot animatronic version of Love Sausage's man-parts and then added CGI to complete the effect. I'm guessing the CGI bits weren't what Laz Alonso had wrapped around his neck while filming. I hope somebody got to keep that prop to maybe make a scarf out of it, unless Love Sausage will factor into the upcoming spinoff series, of course.

The Boys Season 2 is currently airing weekly on Amazon on Fridays, and though that revised release schedule has angered plenty of fans, it certainly gives everyone more than enough time to reflect on Love Sausage's hog before moving onto the next episode. While waiting to see what zaniness is coming next, head to our 2020 Fall TV premiere schedule.

When The Boys returns to Amazon Prime Video for the already acclaimed Season 2, audiences are going to see a completely different Billy Butcher, in that he'll now be extremely sensitive to women, he'll agree with everything Hughie says, and he won't call people "cunts" all day long. Ha, just kidding! As if Karl Urban would allow such madness to occur. No, fans will definitely get to enjoy the same ol' brash and lovable Butcher in Season 2, and Urban is as pumped as anyone for the character's return.

CinemaBlend spoke with The Boys' Karl Urban and Laz Alonso ahead of Season 2's debut, and before we got into the nitty-gritty from those first three episodes – stay tuned for more exclusives on Friday and beyond – I asked Urban about being so beloved for playing a Grade-A asshole character like Billy Butcher. Here's what he told me:

I think most viewers would agree that Butcher is known for doing and saying things that most other people wouldn't, for better and often for worse. Being so dastardly and cavalier is precisely part of the reason why Karl Urban is so fond of portraying the comic book character. And by all means, Butcher would still be wonderfully enjoyable as a hate-to-love-him character even if his give-zero-fucks attitude was all there was to him. Thankfully, though, Butcher is also a 100% badass when he taps into the "monster" that lurks beneath his gritty surface, whether it involves smashing some rube's face into a sink, or driving a boat into the middle of a living whale (as teased in the Season 2 trailers).

Of course, for as much as Butcher likes to live as if he's at the center of the universe, his journey in Season 2 will tap into his history in a way that gives viewers more insight into why he is like he is. Plus, Butcher's brain is obviously working quite differently when the new episodes start up, as he now knows that his thought-dead wife Becca is out there in the world and raising a child with ostensibly his worst enemy. (If there's ever a reason to be an asshole, amirite?) Here's how Karl Urban put it:

Kudos to anyone who assumes that the choices Butcher will make are going to ruffle some feathers with Homelander and Vought International, and maybe even Becca herself. Not to mention Hughie, Mother's Milk and the rest of The Boys. I mean, is Butcher even capable of doing something without riling others up? (Beyond his loyal pup, that is.)

To that end, I had to ask The Boys' Laz Alonso about why his character Mother's Milk has continued to find value in Butcher's antics, and why their partnership has lasted as long as it has. Here's what Alonso had to say:

There are definitely moments during The Boys episodes (from both seasons) when Karl Urban and Laz Alonso will share a look that speaks volumes about the years that their characters have been pulling missions together. Whether it's Butcher's sheepish glare saying, "Yeah, all right, I'm getting out of line," or it's M.M.'s disappointedly optimistic look saying, "I know you're going to do the thing that literally everyone agrees you shouldn't do." Real friends are hard to have sometimes, not that I know what it's like to be friends with someone like Butcher. Frenchie, maybe.

I know it's not going to happen, but I'd love to see a full flashback episode of Butcher and Mother's Milk cementing their friendship outside of life-threatening adventures, to even better justify M.M. putting up with that dude's bullshit on a daily basis. When he's not just leaving everyone high and dry, that is. Oh, what am I saying, come here, Butcher, you old so-and-so, so we can pound chests and parentally glower at Hughie.

The Boys will bring Butcher and M.M.'s diabolical friendship back to fans when Season 2 debuts on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, September 4, at 3:01 a.m. ET. To see what other new and returning shows are on the way, head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule.

This year's Fall TV season already looks completely different than it has in previous years, with many productions unable to start up during their usual time windows. But while The CW's Arrowverse shows are all on an extended hiatus and won't start up again until the early months of 2021, audiences will soon get a very different dose of high-flying superheroes and deadly villains when Amazon's The Boys debuts its second season in September. Karl Urban claimed that things would get more diabolical in Season 2, and it appears The Boys delivers on that promise.

The embargo lifted this week for Season 2 reviews, and the vast majority of critics are in agreement that The Boys is even sharper and more on point than ever. In following up on the first season's big deaths and reveals, The Boys is building up Giancarlo Esposito's role within Vaught, and will introduce You're the Worst's Aya Cash as Stormfront, one of the comic's controversial members of The Seven. Having watched Season 2 myself, I can definitely say that hardcore fans will not be disappointed by anything they see, including X-Men's Shawn Ashmore as Lamplighter. But let's dig into what others are saying.

For IGN, one of the big pluses for Season 2 is that showrunner and creator Eric Kripke has maintained a balance between mega-spectacle and character development.

Many critics agree that The Boys Season 2 successfully builds out its barbed criticism of its superheroes in a way that plays into an assortment of real-world metaphors. Decider's review, for instance, not only gives the new episodes credit for upping the ante on the whole, but also in how its storytelling reflects race and gender issues, as well as celebrity culture, while also teasing some highly fucked-up moments scattered throughout.

If only "Piano Man" could serve as one of The Seven, amirite? In any case, Collider's review points out that as wild and unpredictable as Season 2 can get, The Boys also manages to focus in on some of its more humanistic elements.

Jack Quaid's Hughie and Erin Moriarty's Annie/Starlight are definitely the two beacons of humanity in this sordid universe, with Laz Alonso's protagonist Mother's Milk coming in third place on that scale. But Season 2 also puts other characters into situations where they should have more empathy, compassion and love, even if it doesn't automatically happen. Den of Geek's positive review speaks to that idea, and confidently thinks that this follow-up season will draw in more viewers that were hesitant to go gung ho about Season 1.

Currently, The Boys Season 2 is rocking a 95% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, which is a nice uptick from Season 1's aggregated score of 84%. (Granted, Season 1 had 99 reviews compared to just over 20 for Season 2 so far, but still.) Currently, the only Rotten review on the site is from Observer, which wasn't a wholly negative outlook by any means. But beyond offering up certain compliments, that particular critic did not seem to think The Boys evolved all that much between seasons, and that it fell victim to the same trappings that hindered Season 1.

While there will no doubt be some dissenters who won't be as impressed with Billy Butcher's team taking on Homelander's crew (among other rivalries), that's going to be the case with almost any TV show out there. Especially one that features heads exploding and dogs being commanded to have sex with other creatures and inanimate objects. But if these reviews prove anything, it's that just about everyone who binged Season 1 with glee is going to be equally impressed with the calamitous second season, if not more so.

The Boys Season 2 will make its grand three-episode debut on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, September 4, with future installments releasing weekly. While waiting for the super-mayhem to arrive (and for Supernatural's Jensen Ackles to arrive in Season 3), head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule to see what other new and returning shows will be around soon.

Most of the characters on Amazon's The Boys tend to go through their lives with fairly reckless abandon, regardless of whether they're part of the superhero group The Seven or if they're part of the titular supe-hating quintet. But that obviously doesn't mean that all of the cast members are amoral and unsympathetic in the same ways. In fact, The Boys stars put aside their narrative-based rivalries and teamed up to deliver a pandemic-related message to fans: "Wear a fucking mask!"

Following the show's panel for the Television Critics Association summer press tour, The Boys dropped the below mask-promoting video, complete with all the explicit F-bombs that fans have come to expect from the action-packed series. Check it out, but obviously keep the sound turned down if there are young children or job supervisors nearby.

While The Boys' cast members obviously weren't in character for the video, everything played out in a ways that it likely would have if all of the show's core personalities were trying to convince others to wear masks as a means of containing the spread of COVID-19 (among other things). You gotta love that the newest cast member Aya Cast, who portrays The Seven's newest member Stormfront, is the star who gets to drop the first F-bomb in laying out the general "wear a fucking mask" initiative. Since she wasn't around in Season 1, she's got some ground to make up when it comes to swearing and getting her face smooshed with something bloody. That latter part doesn't happen in the video, though.

The lack of blood and other disgusting visuals is probably the biggest difference between the video above and an episode of The Boys. Well, except for the length, and the fact that the actors use their real names. And then there's the whole "everyone talking right into the camera and speaking to the audience" thing. Okay, so it's nothing like an episode. It's real life, and the "wear a fucking mask" message is very much one that needs real-world attention.

Jack Quaid presents the very legitimate scenario that even though The Boys fans would no doubt love to hear news about the already confirmed Season 3, it can't actually become a reality when barely any TV projects are being allowed to film, due to the continued spread (and sporadic rises) of COVID-19 infections across the U.S.

While Season 3's production is still up in the air, Season 2 is very much completed and will be arriving in our lives very soon. Check out the most recent trailer below, which is full of big and badass moments to look forward to seeing in full.

The Boys Season 2 is set to debut on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, September 4, at 3:01 a.m. ET, with the first three episodes releasing at once before the show adopts a one-a-week schedule for the rest of the season. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for exclusive coverage on Season 2, and while waiting for that info to rise from The Deep, stay tuned to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule to see everything else hitting the small screen in the coming months.

The Boys Season 2 is gearing up to be even bloodier than Season 1, and that’s saying a lot considering that the Amazon series has always been uncompromisingly gory. The latest trailer for Season 2 puts Stormfront, the newest addition to The Seven, front and center and delivers some of the wildest moments we’ve seen from the show so far.

After watching the Season 2 trailer of The Boys, the first thing that’s immediately noticeable is that Starlight has switched sides, presumably joining up with The Boys in their plans to take down Vought and the rest of the supes. Oh, and Giancarlo Esposito is back as Stan Edgar. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, so let’s break down the five most batshit moments from The Boys Season 2 trailer.

5. Butcher Boats Through A Whale

If you thought the scene with the dolphin flying out of the truck and being run over was gruesome, The Boys Season 2 has prepared an even more ruthless scene, this time involving a whale. The Deep is riding the whale in the trailer when Butcher speeds towards him and the sea creature in a boat. Instead of stopping, Butcher drives the boat straight into the whale and the very next shot is of him and The Boys climbing out from inside. Honestly, it’s best not to get too attached to animals on this show.

4. Homelander Throws His Son Off A Roof

After being raped by Homelander, Butcher’s wife, Rebecc,a was revealed to be pregnant and subsequently went into hiding. Suffice it to say that the diabolical Homelander found out that he had a son in the Season 1 finale. However, he may not have one for long after unceremoniously throwing him off a roof in the Season 2 trailer. Maybe Homelander’s hoping he can fly?

3. Stormfront Asks Homelander To Laser Eyes Her Chest

Previous footage and information revealed that Stormfront was all about pissing off Homelander, but it would seem that The Boys Season 2 will also see her asking him to “stop being a pussy” and use his powers to shoot lasers at her chest. It’s pretty insane and unexpected, if I’m being honest, but it’s par for the course on this show.

2. Stormfront, Starlight, And Queen Maeve Attend A Premiere

Stormfront’s plans are really at the forefront of the trailer. Recruit other “supermen” to join The Seven. But I guess there’s also some time for her, Starlight, and Queen Maeve to attend what looks like a movie premiere. Large posters pepper the background (“Girls get it done”), and they’re walking a red carpet with press all around. It’s off-putting considering that there are military tanks driving down the street in another scene.

1. Homelander Threatens Starlight

Homelander is violent, controlling, and homicidal. Watching him murder Madelyn Stillwell in the Season 1 finale was brutal, so you can imagine how shocking it was to see him corner Starlight and Hughie and basically ask her to kill him. Hughie is bloody and terrified, and Starlight looks scared as well. We see her use her powers, assuming that she’s killed Hughie, but I’ll be interested to see how the scene actually plays out when Season 2 airs.

Check out the full trailer below!

Luckily, The Boys has already been renewed for Season 3, so fans won’t have to hold their breath about any unresolved storylines. The Boys Season 2 will premiere on Amazon Prime on September 4. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 fall TV premiere schedule.

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It's hard to believe it, but the Skywalker Saga has been over for months now. J.J Abrams' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker arrived last December, and ended the nine-film narrative that began with A New Hope. The galaxy far, far away is known for including some celebrity cameos, and it turns out that Abrams snuck in one more that was kept under wraps: The Boys' Karl Urban.

Karl Urban has had a long career and TV film, with a few notable science fiction appearances in projects like Thor: Ragnarok, Star Trek, and Dredd. And while he never wielded a lightsaber or met Princess Leia, it turns out Urban had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it Star Wars role. The actor recently shared this information, saying:

There you have it. Karl Urban has officially the ranks of celebrities like Daniel Craig and Prince William and Harry as someone lucky enough to slip on a Stormtrooper trooper uniform and get a quick role in Star Wars' sequel trilogy. What's more, we may have a detailed location as to when exactly Urban appears in Episode IX.

Karl Urban's comments to Digital Spy reveal the latest celebrity cameo that filmmaker J.J Abrams snuck into his pair of Star Wars movies. In addition to casting longtime collaborators like Keri Russell, Abrams also put Urban and some of his other friends into cameos for The Rise of Skywalker. Now the actor knows what it's like to be in that iconic costume, which presumably inhibits your ability to aim.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is currently streaming on Disney+. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.

Later in that same conversation, Karl Urban went on to explain exactly when in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker you can spot The Boys star. And it turns out he was even given a line of dialogue, despite not being heavily featured in the scene. As he tells it,

Does anyone else feel the need to re-watch Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker right now? Because after all these months of dissecting the blockbuster and having questions answered, there are still surprises arriving. This time in the form of one Karl Urban, who can now boast that he's been in both Star Trek and Star Wars. We'll just have to see if we get another movie with his character McCoy.

The Star Wars franchise is currently shifting its focus onto live-action shows on Disney+, with The Mandalorian earning a whopping 15 Emmy nominations. As for Karl Urban, he can be seen on the second season of Amazon's The Boys, going toe to toe with superheroes in the process.

Season 2 of The Boys will arrive on Amazon on September 4th. Be sure to check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.

No matter how many times I try to convince my calendar that I have date-changing superpowers, it isn't September 4 yet, which means The Boys Season 2 hasn't crash-landed into our faces just yet. Thankfully, the cast got together for a fun and laugh-filled Comic-Con@Home panel that gave fans a surprising number of non-spoilery reveals about what to expect in the streaming series' second season.

Before Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg popped in with the announcement that Amazon had officially renewed The Boys for Season 3, the always wonderful Aisha Tyler asked creator Eric Kripke and the majority of the principal cast all kinds of questions about Season 2 plotlines and character dynamics, often while dropping hard teases of her own. Let's get into some of those bigger highlights below.

The Boys Should Be Very Wary Of Butcher Now

As much as Karl Urban's Billy Butcher was a reckless maniac in Season 1, that was before he realized he had something to live for other than revenge. Now that he knows his wife Becca is not only alive, but also connected to Homelander, Butcher will have his blinders on even tighter in Season 2. That doesn't bode well for the superhero-hunting team he sorta leads. Here's how Urban explained it:

There are certainly situations that would arise where Butcher would not sell out on The Boys by putting the in harm's way, but if it comes down to Becca or his buds, I can't picture a scenario where Butcher readily chooses to sacrifice the woman he already thought he'd lost. Granted, she might not share those feelings anymore, but would that be enough to make him choose Hughie over Becca?

Hughie Won't Be A Pushover Anymore (Eventually)

Speaking of Jack Quaid's almost-accidental member of The Boys, Hughie Campbell is going into Season 2 without Butcher as a constant devil at one shoulder. (Obviously Butcher used an anal-bomb to kill off whatever angel was on Hughie's other shoulder.) It appears that separation will be good for the character's confidence. According to Quaid:

Jack Quaid specifically pointed to a moment from the Season 2 trailer where Butcher returns and is trying to get The Boys to back him on a plan, saying, 'You'll love it," and Hughie stands up to him with sincerity by saying how little love he ever feels for Butcher's plans. Now, does Hughie's newfound confidence mean that he is impervious to failure, embarrassment, pain or sorrow? Not one bit, but it'll be interesting to see how it changes him.

Starlight Embraces Powers And Has Interesting Pair-Ups

For Season 1, Erin Moriarty's Starlight was in a "fish out of water" story where the fish realizes that the world is now a very unfamiliar and suffocating place. Basically all of her ideals were given the shaft, metaphorically and so on, so the most optimistic member of The Seven is going into Season 2 will walls built up around her, which affects how she maintains her values. In Moriarty's words:

Now that Starlight has had tar poured over her rose-colored glasses, it sounds like she might be confronted with more situations that align her with behavior akin to what The Seven is often guilty of. But that attitude shift should help when she gets paired off at various points with Butcher and A-Train. Karl Urban talked about enjoying getting to spend time opposite Erin Moriarty for certain scenes, and both the actress and Jessie T. Usher talked about Starlight and A-Train have an interesting, though toxic, relationship given their mistrust for each other.

An Actual Whale Prop Was Built For That Gross Scene

The Boys' Comic-Con@Home panel also featured the debut of a wonderfully bizarre sequence that was teased in the Season 2 trailer. Basically, Butcher and The Boys are zooming along in a boat aimed for The Deep, who is standing atop a large beached whale. And then, you know, they drive the boat straight into the whale's body for a shocking and hilariously disgusting stunt. And shame on anyone who thought it was a digital effect, because that whale was a real prop. Karl Urban and Eric Kripke talked about the amazing (and hot and smelly) beast of a prop.

It obviously wasn't the kind of prop that one can just use over and over and over again, which is almost definitely a good thing for the cast members who had to go through those faux whale guts in the heat of the summer sun. But that whale is a prop you absolutely want to be able to use once, so let's all applaud Eric Kripke's dedication to grossing fans out with practical effects.

The Deep Tries To Make Human Connections Again

Of all this show's sordid characters, Chace Crawford's The Deep perhaps came the closest to finding a form of redemption and poetic justice, which puts him in an interesting place when Season 2 starts. Granted, he'd been absolutely miserable being exiled to Ohio where he was living a pretty solitary life, but that seems likely to change as his story continues. Here's how Crawford explained it:

Will The Boys fans, or characters, be comfortable with The Deep finding a genuine romantic relationship after his Season 1 arc? What could it be from his past that returns, and how will that person (or sea creature) shake things up?

Mother's Milk Becomes The Show's (Only?) Moral Compass

In certain ways, Laz Alonso's Mother's Milk is a polar opposite of Butcher. Mother's Milk is far more of a traditional family man, even compared to when Butcher was in a happily married state. But in that same vein, Mother's Milk is also the kind of person who would leave his family behind and sacrifice that connection if it meant taking on some form of heroic act. In that way, Alonso said that his character is addicted to the feeling of freedom-fighting in the same way the comic character was born addicted to Compound V. Speaking to his moral code, Alonso said:

Granted, the moral code within The Boys is a few tiers lower than it is in other comic book groups, but you take what you can get, right? Here's hoping he'll be able to steer them away from Butcher's mad plans and mad dog in Season 2.

Kimiko Gets A Deeper Backstory, Still Won't Talk

One of The Boys' most unique characters is Karen Fukuhara's Kimiko, whose silent-but-deadly introduction and Season 1 arc left a lot of questions about the character's past and what's going on inside her head. It sounds like we won't have too long to wait to get more insights, either. When asked about taking on a non-speaking role like this, Fukuhara mentions how much more audiences will learn about her mysterious character in Season 2.

It's probably safe to assume that whatever her history is, it won't be one filled with happiness, compassion and loud singing voices. Aisha Tyler hinted that Kimiko's backstory may well indeed reveal exactly why she can't, or doesn't, talk.

Frenchie's Real Name Will Be Revealed

It's easy to forget that Frenchie isn't the actual name of Tomer Capon's emotionally charged thief and marksman, but rather just shorthand for The Frenchman. Of course, there are a lot of things about Frenchie's personal life and past that fans aren't clued in on just yet. So it's awesome Capon has revealed that Season 2 will dig deeper into his own past just as it will for Kimiko.

Frenchie was a member of the original Boys unit that was headed up by Laila Robins' Grace Mallory, but left after everything went kaput there. So if Season 2 is going to shine a light on how he first teamed up with Butcher and others, you just know it's going to be the wildest introduction ever.

A-Train Is In Bad Shape, Will Probably Keep Making It Worse

Jessie T. Usher's A-Train is perhaps the most guilty of self-sabotage of anyone on The Boys. For various reasons both superficial and deeply personal, the character cannot turn away from his Compound V addiction, no matter how destructive the addiction is. And even though A-Train's heart attack in Season 1 should have been a big wake-up call for him to make changes, the character only digs himself into a deeper pit of denial and paranoia. According to the actor:

In the way that A-Train blamed Hughie for his girlfriend's death while denying all personal responsibility, Jessie T. Usher says that his troubled superhero will find someone new to put in his crosshairs for Season 2. Regarding the entry earlier about Starlight, could she be the one that A-Train tries to run all over when the show returns? If so, I gotta say he was way better off targeting a regular ass human.

The Boys Season 2 will kick off on Amazon on Friday, September 4, with the first three episodes going live that day. After that, new episodes will be streaming weekly on Fridays. Stay tuned to CinemaBlend for more coverage, and head to our Fall 2020 TV premiere schedule to see what other shows are debuting in the coming months.

A superhero show that has more crossover appeal than you can shake The Deep's stick at, The Boys was a huge success for Amazon when it comes to original streaming projects (as well as comic book adaptations, R-rated TV, shows starring Karl Urban, etc.). The Season 2 renewal didn't take long to arrive, and now that the show's return to audiences is imminent, Amazon has tripled down on the superhero-filled series by officially renewing The Boys for Season 3! But wait, there's more!

Announced after The Boys' panel for ComicCon@Home by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, the Season 3 renewal is a wonderful thing, especially for fans who hate waiting around in worry to hear news from studios about a TV show's future. Considering The Boys' second season will be released on a weekly basis, as opposed to streaming everything at once, that would have no doubt stretched the waiting game out to miserable lengths. But no reason to be nervous anymore, because Amazon was quick to make this decision known to everyone, and the news was coupled with the reveal that there will now be an after-show accompanying Season 2 episodes.

Called Power Rewind: Inside The Boys, the new after-show will be hosted by Archer and Criminal Minds vet Aisha Tyler, who will also serve as an executive producer. Tyler, who also moderated the Boys' Comic-Con panel, is clearly a fan of the series, and she'll be interviewing different actors, members of the creative team and other surprise guest stars in each episode. Expect to get some fun and explicit behind-the-scenes stories and bonkers videos.

Here's what creator and showrunner Eric Kripke had to say about the Amazon renewal and unscripted offshoot:

Though there's no telling when The Boys Season 3 will be able to film, the early renewal will allow creator Eric Kripke and others on the creative team to have a solid amount of time to plan out what they want to do with the third batch of adventures. (And to officially announce Jeffrey Dean Morgan's involvement, if it's legit.) Here's hoping (and strongly assuming) that we'll end up seeing Karl Urban's Billy Butcher and Jack Quaid's Hughie Campbell get into the most disgusting and bloody situations yet, topped with a heap of violence.

In fact, Aisha Tyler hyped up The Boys Season 2 in such ways with her own statement for the announcement, found below.

If it isn't dysfunctional (and doused in milk), then Homelander doesn't want anything to do with it. Check out the The Boys' Season 2 trailer below to see where the beloved maniac leader of The Seven is heading next.

The Boys thankfully has an entire season of episodes to bring to fans before we even have to worry about when Season 3 will arrive. Season 2 will debut its first three episodes on Amazon on Friday, September 4, with future episodes rolling out weekly. While waiting to see the chaotic debauchery, stay tuned to our 2020 Fall TV premiere schedule for all the other shows popping up on the small screen in the coming months.