NetherRealm Studios is currently working on its next fighting game.Mortal Kombat 12in particular has been the topic of escalating discussion over the last four years, especially once NetherRealm skipped the last two-year launch interval without explanation. With the previous game setting up a reboot of theMortal Kombatstoryline,Mortal Kombat 12could provide a fresh experience compared to its immediate predecessors.
This should happen regardless of whether any DC superheroes from theInjusticetitles tag along. After the unpopular crossover titleMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, 2011’sMK9introduced smaller guest appearances withGod of War’s Kratos andNightmare on Elm Street’s Freddy Krueger. As of the most recent entry,Mortal Kombathas hosted everyone fromTodd MacFarlane’s Spawn to RoboCop, and will most likely continue to add guests in future DLC. The abundance of comic book, action film, and horror flick characters might be getting a bit stale, so a futureMortal Kombatmight want to draw from a new medium like anime for a future crossover.
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Mortal Kombat Should Aim For Impossible Guest Appearances
Mortal Kombatowes a lot of its distinct style to Westerners interpreting Eastern martial art films. Its reference pool has grown to involve a wide variety of popular blockbusters over the years, but forMortal Kombat’s biggest crossover yet, it should lean into its martial arts inspirations and ask one of its lead Japanese competitors for help.Mortal Kombat’s lack of availability in Japan might make getting T-ratedStreet FighterorTekkencharacters difficult, but adding the right Japanese icon could still be a hit in the rest of the world.
In the name of reaching as high as it can possibly go, NetherRealm Studios could ask Bandai Namco and Toei Animation for aDragon Ballcrossover. This sounds ridiculous at first, especially consideringDragonball Evolution’s disastrous attempt at translating the series' manga style into real life, butaDragon Ball Zguest charactercould work well inMortal Kombat. With the right balance of ki techniques, martial arts, and wrestling moves, the result could be both fun to use and extremely popular.
How Dragon Ball Could Manifest in Mortal Kombat
The big question is whichDragon Ballcharacter should appear inMortal Kombat, and Goku is the obvious answer. Thanks toMortal Kombat’s preliminary fight dialogue, comparisons of everything from Dr. Gero’s Androids and the Cyber Lin Kuei could follow Goku in and out of battle. In addition, Goku is no stranger to dying and has even been on the receiving end of a nut punchcourtesy of theSuper Android 13movie, so there should be few tonal issues in exposing him to Fatalities.
Dragon Ball’s various aliens may also work better inMortal Kombat’s photorealistic art style, but there is one other option. The tale of theMonkey King Sun Wukong, known as Son Gokuin Japan, has been retold countless times - including through the originalDragon Ballrun. With a new universe in play,Mortal Kombathas plenty of room to try its own. Complete with attacks and outfits directly referencingDragon Ball, adding a take on the original Son Goku could get pastMKandDBZ’s inherent style clash while allowingDragon Ballmaterial to seep in. Whatever the case, there’s never a bad time to secure aDragon Ballcrossover, and withBudokai Tenkaichi 4primed to be another hugeDragon Ballvideo game, now is the right time forMortal Kombatto give it a shot.
Mortal Kombat 12is set to release in 2023.
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