Wonder what would’ve happened if Jean-Claude Van Damme played Johnny Cage? Wonder no more…

Mortal Kombat 1 is about new beginnings and brand new possibilities… One of the urban legends of the series was that Jean-Claude Van Damme was approached to portray a character named Michael Grimm, but that proved unsuccessful and the character eventually became Johnny Cage, who was portrayed by Daniel Pesina.

With over 11 main titles and 80 million copies sold it seems Ed Boon finally got his wish and Jean-Claude Van Damme would indeed lend his likeness to the fictional action star. NetherRealm released a new trailer featuring the premium skin of Johnny Cage that bears JCVD’s likeness. Clad in black shorts, red sash and black shoes, this skin evokes the look of the character from the original Mortal Kombat which pays homage to Van Damme’s character Frank Dux in the film Bloodsport. The muscles from brussels also lends his voice to the skin and even makes quips that reference his starring role in a video adaption of another popular fighting game series.

The JCVD Johnny Cage skin will be exclusively available in the premium edition of the title and that edition will already star studded as the base game will feature Kelly Hu and Megan Fox in prominent voice roles and the first Kombat Pack also has JK Simmons and John Cena voicing Omni-Man and Peacekeeper respectively. Mortal Kombat 1 will usher in a new era on PC, Switch, the PlayStation and Xbox platforms on September 19th.

Mortal Kombat 1 | Official Jean-Claude Van Damme Trailer

After 30 years, the man, the myth, the legend finally arrives in Kombat. Jean-Claude Van Damme becomes Johnny Cage in #MK1.

Pre-order your copy now: http://go.wbgames.com/MK1PreOrder

It’s In Our Blood. Discover a reborn Mortal Kombat Universe created by Fire God Liu Kang. Mortal Kombat 1 ushers in a new era of the iconic franchise with a new fighting system, game modes, and Fatalities!