There once was a time when it would’ve been impossible to have crossovers within the video game space outside of publishers using their own characters in the titles they made. Nintendo is legendary for doing that even before a certain fighting game franchise was born. However, nowadays, the real question with crossovers isn’t “Can you get them?” it’s instead, “How many can you get?” Mortal Kombat, over the last several entries, has had numerous DLC characters that have blown people’s minds, and the upcoming DLC characters, like Homelander, Omni-Man, and Peacemaker, further add to the belief that anything is possible.
At Gamescom, IGN had a long chat with Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon about the DLC characters he’s gotten so far and then asked if he had any that were still “out there” waiting to be brought in. It might surprise you that the entity he wanted more than anything was Jean-Claude Van Damme, who Boon has long said was the inspiration for Johnny Cage. In terms of the more “fantastical” characters they’ve wanted, they’ve apparently “gotten them all”:
Indeed, getting Terminator, the Xenomorph, Robocop, Rambo, and more was huge for the franchise, but that still only touches the tip of the iceberg with what NetherRealm Studios has brought to bear on the franchise and beyond.
For example, we’ve also seen Joker, Jason Vorhees, Freddy Krueger, and Kratos! Then, if you jump into the Injustice franchise, they were able to get the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Hellboy! While we know the mainline and crossover characters for the first combat pack of the new title, it’s fair to think that they will have another one coming and that it could feature even more crossover characters.
The only question is, “Who are they, and how many will be available?”
But even amid crossover madness, one must remember that the upcoming game is important because of what is being done with all the classic characters in the universe. Liu Kang has become the fire god, using his new hourglass to reshape the world and destiny itself. His goal is to make a world of peace, and he’s trying to use his experiences to weave new stories and lives for his former friends and allies.
Recent trailers have shown how Outworld will play into things, which could further throw a monkey wrench into the fire god’s plans. We still have a few more reveals before the game arrives on September 19th.
