In the dynamic world of video games and entertainment crossovers, inspiration from comics often plays a pivotal role in shaping iconic characters. One such instance is the influence of Marvel’s Iron Fist on Johnny Cage, the Hollywood star with a background in martial arts.
Johnny Cage is Mortal Kombat’s arrogant movie star with a martial arts background. His iconic look and cocky catchphrases became instantly recognizable in the years following its release. Although it is not well known, this iconic character was based on Marvel’s Iron Fist.
Netflix buried Cage’s Inspiration
Netflix released a series based on Iron Fist, which was not well received and destroyed the reputation of Iron Fist in pop culture. Netflix’s Iron Fist was a lazy story with a banal and repetitive central conflict that failed to drive the story forward without disengagement.
Iron Fist was never a Marvel superstar; he was neither Iron Man nor Captain America. Yet, he managed to create its legacy, but Netflix was first in line to bank on it, which resulted in a disaster, tarnishing the fame it had garnered over the years.
Johnny Cage has been a people’s favorite in the Mortal Combat franchise since its initial release in 1992. Co-created by Ed Boon and John Tobias, Cage was initially conceived as an action hero from the 1980s, drawing heavy influence from real-life martial artist and actor Jean-Claude Van Damme. However, Boon also turned his attention to Iron Fist and eventually decided to base the character on Dani Rand, aka Iron Fist.
By basing the character of Cash on the Iron Fist, Boon managed to add depth to the character by staying away from turning him into just a Van Damme inspiration.
Similarities between Iron Fist and Johnny Cage
On the surface, the similarities between the two seem to miss the naked eye, but the moment we look deeper, things start to unfold, and the inspirations of Boon surface. One of the key similarities between the two characters is the concept of traditional martial arts skills combined with a mystical flare.
Moreover, Cage’s flashy fighting style and dramatic flair in the form of his green energy projectiles resemble Fist’s chi-based abilities. Both of them have tattoos on their chests, though Iron Fist’s dragon insignia is a little more understated than Cage’s name on his chest. Both are considerably wealthy, Cage from his acting career and Danny from his business holdings and lastly, Cage’s force balls and shadow kicks are pretty similar to the powers granted to Danny Rand or any of his Iron Fist predecessors.
At the end of the day, Johnny Cage’s popularity might still thrive after Netflix’s big disaster with Iron Fist. But it is a warning for Netflix to stop banking on the success of preexisting superheroes in the hope of turning them into gods and making billions of dollars.
