No Guest Found in this category
With new episodes of the final season of The Boys streaming weekly on Prime Video, and Mortal Kombat II in Australian cinemas from today, it’s an exciting time for recent Supa-Star Karl Urban.
Appearing exclusively on the Sunday of Goldnova 2026, he examined his current projects in gradual detail with Supa-Fans at his Q&A panel.
Urban began his panel by reflecting on his experience with The Boys. “Billy Butcher is a character I’ve really enjoyed playing over the last nine years. It’s so much fun to play such a multifaceted character, and I was always drawn to his circumstances.
“He’s a man who’s lost everything, and that makes him formidable and dangerous. From mine and Butcher’s perspective, Homelander is an existential threat to humanity. His course of action is a necessity as far as he’s concerned.”
Urban explained Butcher’s mindset with an example, “Imagine if there was an AI program developed to wipe out humanity. There’s a way to destroy it, but in destroying it, you will destroy all AI programs for everybody.
“This is how I think Butcher looks at the superhero issue in The Boys. He must emotionally dissociate himself from viewing the Supes as people. To him, they are a corporate experiment that has gone out of control, and it is a massive threat.”
He emphasised, “Butcher can be an anti-hero, villain, and a hero. I relished the opportunity to play on the many different facets of Butcher.
“Going forward, I’m happy to leave The Boys where it is. I think there’s a beauty in finishing where we want to finish, to maintain the quality of the story that we want to tell. I will miss Billy Butcher. I will miss the cast and crew; it was some of the best experiences of my life.
“I can’t wait for you guys to see the rest of the season. It will become a thing that we will revisit over the years. It’s special”, Urban grinned.
Both The Boys and Mortal Kombat are very similar; both franchises feature ultra-violent action and a no filter attitude. That’s why Homelander was a perfect fit as a playable DLC character for the recent Mortal Kombat 1 video game.
He reflected on his casting as Johnny Cage, “I may not have done Mortal Kombat II if it wasn’t for The Boys. When we were filming season four, I had a lot of days off due to the shooting schedule and Butcher being sick in the story. I had fuel in the tank, because there is usually a big fight sequence for the season finale, but it wasn’t the case.
“I called my reps, I said that ’I’m ready to go back to work, I’d love to do something high-octane.’ A couple of weeks later, I get the Mortal Kombat II script. I loved the character of Johnny Cage; I loved the story.”
He declared, “It’s definitely some of the best stuff I have ever done outside of The Boys. If it wasn’t for The Boys, [Johnny Cage] may not have been offered to me.”
Urban gave Supa-Fans a glimpse of what to expect from Mortal Kombat II. “At the point where we are introduced to Johnny Cage in the movie, the world has forgotten about Johnny Cage. He’s a former martial arts action star who’s fallen into hard times.
“He’s going to conventions, and he’s looking at other guests that are signing, and there are lines going out of the door, but there’s no one in his line.
“His confidence is at an all-time rock bottom, and it’s at this very juncture that Raiden and Sonya come to him, and say, ‘Hey mate, you’ve been chosen to defend Earth Realm.’ He’s just not ready for it; he’s mentally not there.”
Urban elaborated, “He has neglected his martial arts training. I thought that was an interesting launch pad for this character, like I can take him somewhere from there. Move him towards the Johnny Cage that is synonymous with the games.
“The day we shot Uncaged Fury, I was wearing the classic Cage gear, and all the rest of the cast came down to watch me. I felt the pressure to get it just right, and having an audience added to that. But I just leaned into it and had fun.”
He concluded, “You guys are in for a treat! You don’t need to see the [2021] Mortal Kombat movie to go into this and have a great time. The movie has a lot of heart, comedy and action. It is made for the fans.
“I’ll be back here with Mortal Kombat II soon, so I hope to see you there!” Urban beamed with a large smile.
Lead image by Ali Stevenson
