Mortal Kombat 12 is just around the corner, and fans couldn't be more excited. Last week, developer NetherRealm Studios released an MK12 teaser during the Mortal Kombat 30th Anniversary Event, leading fans to speculate that an announcement could be released soon. In the meantime, a series of leaks have divulged potential guest characters for Mortal Kombat 12. Recent Mortal Kombat entries featured incredible DLC characters from other franchises, and these leaks indicate that Homelander from Amazon's The Boys and Peacemaker from the HBO Max series will be joining Mortal Kombat 12. NetherRealm also develops the popular fighting series Injustice, and it only makes sense that Mortal Kombat 12 should pull an Injustice 2 with Homelander, adapting one of the latter's best features to make his inclusion twice as powerful.
Little is known about Mortal Kombat 12, but many fans speculate that it will reboot the series. Mortal Kombat 11 featured a time-travel narrative, culminating in Fire God Liu Kang's traveling back to meet the Great Kung Lao. It is possible this act will usher in a new timeline, as Kung Lao was Earthrealm's first major champion. Alongside leaks of Mortal Kombat 12's guest characters, the game's title has seemingly been revealed to be Mortal Kombat 1, adding credence to the reboot theory.
Injustice 2's Premiere Skins Could Deliver Twice the Villainy
The news that Homelander will be featured in Mortal Kombat 12 has been met with widespread anticipation, as NetherRealm has proven that it can effectively adapt comic book and TV villains in its Injustice series. Injustice 2 is one of the developer's best games, and one particular addition helped the studio perfect its ability to expand the game's roster. This feature, called Premiere Skins, allowed brand-new characters to be featured through the use of alternate costume pieces for existing members of the roster. By applying a new set of cosmetics, or an entire costume, a member of Injustice 2's roster could be transformed into another character with similar powers, often featuring new dialogue and a different voice. One popular example of a Premiere Skin turned Injustice 2's Supergirl into Power Girl.
By adapting Injustice 2's Premiere Skins, Mortal Kombat 12's Homelander could become the villain from another popular Amazon series, Invincible's Omni-man. In Homelander, NetherRealm already has Omni-man's build and similar powers. All it would take is a new skin and some voice lines to create a near-perfect recreation of Omni-man for Mortal Kombat 12. Both characters are owned by Amazon Studios, which would make it easy to work out. Following the game's release, it is entirely possible that Omni-man could make his way onto the roster one way or another.
Mortal Kombat 12's Guest Characters Pave the Way for More Injustice 2 Elements
Injustice 3 is not likely to release anytime soon, but Mortal Kombat 12's guest characters are already bridging the gap. With the inclusion of both Homelander and Peacemaker, Mortal Kombat 12 features two of the most popular characters from mature superhero offerings. Whether the rest of the game's guests hail from superhero properties remains to be seen. However, leaks have quickly established a trend.
Peacemaker's inclusion in Mortal Kombat 12 forms the most direct bridge to Injustice, as he is a popular DC character. His being featured follows a similar appearance by The Joker in Mortal Kombat 11, though the latter had appeared in both Mortal Kombat and Injustice titles prior. With Injustice 3 likely years away, Mortal Kombat's superhero offerings and potential use of Premiere skins could satiate fans in the meantime. Fans hoping for more Mortal Kombat 12 details don't have long to wait for potential guest character confirmation, as Ed Boon is teasing that a major reveal is coming later this week.
Mortal Kombat 12 is in development.