Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon has shared an interesting fan idea yet again, this time commenting about a hypothetical MK-based take on Marvel’s What If show. Boon is known to keep in touch with players of his long-running fighting franchise on social media - such as sharing fanart, picking who he wants to play Johnny Cage in the next Mortal Kombat movie, and even dropping intriguing hints about new guest fighters.
Ed Boon has shared plenty of Marvel-related tidbits as well, adding credence to the rumors that NetherRealm is working on an Injustice-style game set in the Marvel Universe now that it is done adding new content to Mortal Kombat 11. Boon's latest Marvel-based tweet is actually one that was suggested by a fan and centered more around one of the Marvel world's wildest and most thought-provoking concepts rather than any particular character.
Yesterday, a fan by the handle of Cassie Cage CEO of Cage Family Fans asked about a Mortal Kombat “What If” game on Twitter, suggesting a number of different scenarios this hypothetical title could explore. Ed Boon himself soon responded that this sounded like a “great idea,” leading some fans to joke about how infamously convoluted the MK lore is to begin with, complaining about existing issues like Sindel's backstory being retconned in Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath. Others added a few alternate reality suggestions of their own.
These Twitter posts reference Marvel’s What If comics line, which explores various alternative scenarios featuring the brand's most famous characters. Most recently, Disney+ has started airing a new What If animated series, which showcases several such parallel realities in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The most recent episode of What If demonstrated what things would be like had T'Challa of Black Panther fame took up the mantle of Star-Lord instead of Peter Quill. A second season of What If has already been confirmed, with Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige stating that upcoming movies from the MCU’s current Phase 4 will be explored.
The Mortal Kombat universe is as rich in lore and fascinating character dynamics as the world of Marvel Comics, so a What If-style MK game could work. Some ideas this hypothetical title could look at would be Scorpion’s family never being murdered by the Lin Kuei, or Kung Lao being Raiden’s chosen champion of Earthrealm instead of Liu Kang. Given that Mortal Kombat 11 and its post-game Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath DLC expansion dealt with time-travel and ended with history being drastically rewritten, Mortal Kombat 12 could explore some of these What If concepts - at least after NetherRealm is finished with whatever mystery project it currently has in the works.
Source: Cassie Cage CEO of Cage Family Fans/Twitter, Ed Boon/Twitter