Boon Wants Street Fighter and Marvel in Mortal Kombat

Ryu getting his spine ripped out. That's apparently something Ed Boon wants to see, and honestly, so do I.

In a recent interview with Collider, the Mortal Kombat co-creator confirmed that NetherRealm Studios is "actively pursuing" a new Mortal Kombat game, and when asked about dream guest characters, he didn't hold back. Boon said he'd "love to see" a Street Fighter character join the roster, citing his own fandom for the series. He also named Marvel and DC characters as crossover picks he'd want to explore. DC has some precedent here; the Joker appeared as a guest fighter in Mortal Kombat 11. But Marvel and Street Fighter would be entirely new territory.

Boon noted that if someone had asked him this question ten years ago, he probably would have rattled off names that have already made it into the games. The series has built a reputation for wild guest appearances since Mortal Kombat 9 brought in Kratos and Freddy Krueger, and recent entries have featured characters from The Boys, Invincible, Rambo, and Predator. One notable absence remains Ash Williams, who was supposed to appear in Mortal Kombat 11 but never made the cut. Street Fighter 6's director Takayuki Nakayama has previously said he'd be open to a crossover, so the door isn't completely shut on Boon's wish list.

The broader picture at NetherRealm is busy. "We're definitely pursuing another Mortal Kombat game, and we're definitely doing more, as well, so there are a lot of pots on the stove," Boon told Collider. He mentioned other forms of media alongside games, teasing "a lot of great announcements that are coming." This lines up with the Mortal Kombat 2 movie releasing this week, and Boon said he'd love to see both MK2 and the upcoming Street Fighter film do well, as strong box office results would signal audience appetite for more fighting game adaptations.

Mortal Kombat 1 sold 8 million copies but landed with a more mixed reception than its predecessor, sitting at a Metascore of around 84 from top critics while drawing fan criticism for its Kameo Fighters system and the abrupt end to post-launch support. NetherRealm is also heavily rumoured to be working on Injustice 3, which would make sense given the timing of James Gunn's DC universe expansion. Whatever comes next from the studio, the new Mortal Kombat game is likely further out. But Boon floating Street Fighter and Marvel crossovers this early feels like a deliberate signal that NetherRealm wants to go bigger with its guest roster, not smaller. If Capcom actually agrees to let Ryu eat a fatality, that alone would be one of the wildest moments in fighting game history.