The tradition of adding guest characters to Mortal Kombat goes back to 2011’s MK reboot, which featured Freddy Krueger on all consoles and God of War’s Kratos as a PS3 exclusive. Subsequent games have included Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, an Alien Xenomorph, a Predator, RoboCop, Spawn, Joker, John Rambo, and the Terminator. That’s quite an impressive lineup!
Mortal Kombat 1, the latest reboot in the series, is coming later this year and it might follow that same tradition. Early reports and rumors indicate that the first Kombat Pack will include DC’s Peacemaker, Omni-Man from Invincible, and Homelander from The Boys. That’s a great start, but far from the only cameo appearances we want to see in the fighting game. Ahead of its fall release, we’ve put together our picks for the 10 guest characters that we want to see in Mortal Kombat 1 — from Superman to John Wick.
John Wick
In a world of assassins, no one inspires more fear than John Wick. Keanu Reeves’ latest signature character has already become an icon after four feature films. And while John is seriously underpowered compared to the other Kombatants, that shouldn’t prevent him from taking them down with all manner of improvised weapons and well-placed gunshots.
Neo
Would NetherRealm Studios really go for two Keanu Reeves characters? They will if they’re smart. Inside the Matrix, Neo has very Superman-like powers. But it would be far more interesting to see Neo using his more subtle abilities like stopping projectiles in mid-air with a wave of a hand. Neo’s programmed martial arts knowledge would also be a good fit for this game.
And if you’re hung up on the fact that Neo shouldn’t have special powers outside of the Matrix, then who’s to say that this Mortal Kombat reboot isn’t taking place inside of the Matrix?
Invincible
If the report about Omni-Man being in the game is accurate, then his son, Invincible, belongs in Mortal Kombat 1 as well. Mark Grayson inherited most of his father’s powers, but not his killer instinct. While Invincible isn’t as likely to take a life, he can take a great deal of punishment and dish it out as well. He may even be one of the few characters who can survive a Fatality.
Superman
Some would argue that Superman doesn’t belong in a mature audience game because the Man of Steel doesn’t kill. This is true. The Superman that we know and love would do anything it takes to save lives. But the Superman from Injustice kills, and he’d fit right in among these fighters.
Omni-Man and Homelander are both basically evil Superman. And wouldn’t it be enticing to see how the copies fare against the original model? We would also include the real Superman as an alternate for Injustice Superman, and he can be the only character in the game who doesn’t have a Fatality. But if so, then Superman should get multiple Friendship options.
Riddick
Why go with Riddick over Fast & Furious‘ Dominic Toretto? Because Dom would have had to do almost all of his fighting in a car. And among Vin Diesel characters, The Chronicles of Riddick‘s Richard B. Riddick is such a great fit for Mortal Kombat that it’s shocking that this hasn’t already been done in a previous game.
Riddick is absolutely lethal with a blade and extremely skilled in unarmed combat. The last of the Furyans also has eyes that can see in pitch-black darkness, which could come in handy against foes who don’t share the same ability.
Savage Dragon
Spawn was in Mortal Kombat 11, and Hellboy was in Injustice 2. So if NetherRealm Studios wants to add another creator-owned comic book superhero from the ‘90s, then Erik Larsen’s Savage Dragon is our pick. And we mean the original Savage Dragon, not his son, Malcolm Dragon.
Savage Dragon has truly incredible strength and insane regenerative powers. Both of those attributes would serve him well in Mortal Kombat.
Witchblade
Image Comics’ Witchblade would be a great addition to the roster, bringing another powerful woman to the fight. NYPD Detective Sara Pezzini became a deadly fighter when she bonded a mystical gauntlet called the Witchblade. With it, she’s nearly unbeatable because the Witchblade itself is alive. And it will do anything to protect its bearer.
Sara’s old sparring partner, Jackie Estacado, would also be a worthy addition to Mortal Kombat 1 because of his Darkness powers. Perhaps he could join the fray as one of Mortal Kombat 1‘s Kameo characters, which are a new piece of the fighting game.
Conan the Barbarian
Mortal Kombat 11 gave us the Terminator, now the next game should give us another iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger character. Conan the Barbarian was created by Robert E. Howard 91 years ago, but his longevity has largely come from his comic book series that were published by Marvel Comics and Dark Horse Comics, as well as the three feature films, two with Arnold and one with Jason Momoa in the title role.
Conan’s skill with a sword is almost equal to his ingenuity in battle. He’s already gone up against sorcerers and dark gods in the Hyborian Age. Compared to them, the modern-day Kombatants will be a cakewalk.
Red Sonja
Technically, Red Sonja is also a Robert E. Howard creation, although she was re-envisioned in the ‘70s for Marvel’s Conan the Barbarian comics as a foil for Conan himself. In terms of skill, she’s fought Conan to a standstill on multiple occasions, and she’s beaten just as many supernatural or god-like beings as he has, if not more. If anything, Red Sonja is even more ruthless than Conan himself!
Ryu
Last year, Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon confirmed that he and his team have tried to get Capcom on board for a Mortal Kombat vs. Street Fighter game. But their efforts did not come to fruition. The bizarre thing is that Capcom hasn’t had a problem lending its Street Fighter characters out to Namco’s Tekken 7, Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and even Power Rangers: Battle for the Grid. So why not let the ultimate Street Fighter, Ryu, finally make the leap to Outworld for a Mortal Kombat tournament?
Until Capcom relents, this is actually the most unlikely pick on our list. Yet it’s also the crossover that we’d love to see the most.
Mortal Kombat 1 will hit PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC on September 19.
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