When it first came out in 1992, Mortal Kombat was the talk of the town. Every kid and their mother knew about it. Literally. The sheer violence and gore featured in the once-arcade game, had mothers taking to news outlets and politicians to get the game banned. Quite reminiscent of Kyle’s mom from South Park, one could say. Despite major censorship calls and aiding the birth of the ESRB, Mortal Kombat flourished, thanks in part to the controversies surrounding it.

Infamy of its gore aside, the game quickly became popular amongst players for its array of characters. The base roster still lives on in the modern iterations of the fighting game. Whether Liu Kang was your go-to or Thunder God Raiden, or perhaps Scorpion, everyone had their favorite pick. But amongst the ninjas and Gods alike, one character stood out that didn’t quite fit this bill… And that was Johnny Cage.

A Hollywood action superstar, Johnny Cage brings his martial arts skills to his big-screen flicks. As players fiddled around with Johnny’s character more, they began to notice an eerie similarity to a real-life martial artist and action movie star: Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Mortal Kombat has Van Damme’s Bloodsport to thank

When co-creators Ed Boon and John Tobias (or Noob Saibot, for those that know) pitched an arcade ninja fighting game to publisher Midway, they were rejected because it was deemed an unprofitable venture. However, Midway was keen on a game based off of Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Van Damme was the hot topic of martial arts movies and action flicks in the 80s and 90s. So, it’s no surprise that when Universal Soldier took the box office by storm, Midway wanted a slice of that action. Recognizing potential, the 4-member team of the 1992 Mortal Kombat wanted the Bloodsport hero to star in a licensed Van Damme game. Ed Boon stated that they dove into Bloodsport and re-purposed stills of Van Damme with their own assets to do a mock-up. (via Gamespo

While the pitch and idea never materialized with Van Damme, Midway was still adamant on a Van Damme-like fighting game (via Den Of Geek). Wanting to be the “MTV Version of Street Fighter” in Boon’s words, Mortal Kombat started to take shape. And the influence of Bloodsport was visible throughout the game. Global tournament featuring off-beat characters? Fight sequences and gory action? MK and Bloodsport go hand in hand. Where Mortal Kombat did set itself apart, however, was intricately weaving in elements of magic/sorcery and mythology into a violent fighting game.

The similarities don’t stop there, though. For anyone that’s spammed the low sweep move, you owe your gratitude to Van Damme himself for landing the role of Frank Dux after showing off some sick kick moves to a producer. The all too famous Nut Punch? It’s not just Johnny Cage’s move, Van Damme did it first. Even Johnny’s clothing was modeled after Van Damme’s attire in Bloodsport (black shorts with a red sash and black shoes). So, if Van Damme did influence the game so much, why wasn’t he featured in it? Well, he is now, years later!

Who is Johnny Cage?

Much like Van Damme, Johnny Cage is a Hollywood superstar in the action genre, bringing his slick martial arts skills to every role he plays. All his movies bare heavy nods to Van Damme’s with over-the-top storylines and insane action sequences performed by the stars themselves. Johnny Cage’s story in Mortal Kombat has evolved through the years. From being a womanizer and a cocky, potty-mouthed fighter to a loving and mellow Dad (still a champion of Earthrealm, mind you), Johnny has undergone major character growth.

With all the major character growth, Johnny’s fighting style still resembles that of Van Damme’s intense hand to hand and close-range combat. Despite conflicting and inconsistent reports on Van Damme himself not appearing in the first game, NetherRealm Studios delighted old fans and new with the addition of a Van Damme skin for Johnny Cage in an update to 2023’s Mortal Kombat 1. Adding to the delight, the Muscles from Brussels himself voiced this alternate skin of Cage.

Mortal Kombat 1, available on Steam.