Long before Karl Urban became globally unstoppable as Billy Butcher in The Boys, the actor had already spent years building one of Hollywood’s strongest action-fantasy legacies through franchises like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Star Trek, and Dredd. Yet amid that powerful resume, one Marvel role has quietly remained a lingering debate among fandoms, his brief appearance as Skurge the Executioner in Thor: Ragnarok.

And now, as Urban once again steps deeper into blockbuster territory, old MCU conversations around Skurge’s fate and wasted potential have suddenly found fresh life all over again

By the time Karl Urban entered the MCU as Skurge the Executioner in Thor: Ragnarok, the actor had already conquered fantasy kingdoms, space franchises, and brutal dystopian action worlds. Yet despite carrying that heavyweight legacy, Skurge barely evolved beyond a background henchman silently orbiting Hela before Marvel killed him off in a one-film arc.

The role also leaned heavily into goofy comic relief, rarely tapping into the darker intensity Urban had already mastered through Éomer in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Bones in Star Trek, and Judge Dredd in Dredd. Long before Billy Butcher turned him into a streaming phenomenon, fandoms had already recognised the actor’s range, which is exactly why many still believe the MCU wasted him.

That frustration only exploded further once Karl Urban unleashed Billy Butcher in The Boys. Leading a brutal war against corrupt Supes and Vought International, Butcher evolved from a ruthless human vigilante into one of streaming’s deadliest antiheroes through Temp V and permanent Compound V mutations. By Season 4, the character had already transformed into a monstrous force with deadly sentient tentacles, while Urban has teased an even darker, “Terminator-like” Butcher for the final season, exactly the kind of terrifying intensity many fans wish Marvel had explored with Skurge.

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Ironically, years after Marvel reduced him to a forgotten warrior who vanished in a single film, Urban now appears ready to reclaim that blockbuster glory all over again via Mortal Kombat II.

Years after Marvel quietly buried Skurge in a single-film arc, Mortal Kombat II now feels like the redemption Marvel never gave Karl Urban. Released on May 8, 2026, the sequel finally pushes Urban to the frontlines as Johnny Cage, the franchise’s loud, chaotic, fan-favourite showman, instead of a disposable side villain. Urban reportedly underwent intense martial arts training and even attended real karate tournaments while preparing for what he called the most physically demanding role of his career. With the film already outperforming its 2021 predecessor after release, many fans now see Mortal Kombat II as the blockbuster spotlight Urban always deserved.

Beyond Urban’s Cage, Mortal Kombat II also expands into a massive ensemble war between Earthrealm and Outworld. Adeline Rudolph joins as Kitana opposite the tyrannical Shao Kahn, played by Martyn Ford, while returning faces include Lewis Tan as Cole Young, Jessica McNamee as Sonya Blade, and Hiroyuki Sanada as Scorpion. The sequel further unleashes fan-favourite fighters like Jade, Baraka, Quan Chi, and Noob Saibot, pushing the franchise closer than ever to the full-scale tournament chaos longtime Mortal Kombat fans have waited years to witness.

Thus, while the MCU reduced Skurge to a forgotten warrior lost inside Thor: Ragnarok’s chaos, Karl Urban’s rise as Billy Butcher and now Johnny Cage proves the actor was always built for far bigger franchise glory.

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Do you think Marvel wasted Karl Urban’s Skurge in Thor? Let us know in the comments.