Since Mortal Kombat 11 has been out for over a year, fans of NetherRealm Studios' projects have reason to suspect their next game will be the third entry of their other popular fighting game series, Injustice. However, NetherRealm's history with the DC franchise dates back long before Injustice, and now that the studio has proved itself capable with both franchises once more, it's clear that a sequel to Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe would be far more interesting than Injustice 3.
Before NetherRealm revitalized the Mortal Kombat franchise with Mortal Kombat (2011) and established their storytelling versatility with the Injustice franchise, they had one other foray into the realm of the DC multiverse. It was called Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe and, unfortunately, it was somewhat of a critical flop. It was also the last of the Mortal Kombat series' 3D fighting games before NetherRealm decided to remove that unnecessary dimension and bring back the classic 2D feel design of the originals. However, MK vs DCU came out well over a decade ago, and in that time NetherRealm has proved themselves extremely capable at both 2D fighting game design and cinematic storytelling with characters from both of those respective properties. Therefore, it's time for MK vs DCU to undergo a resurrection. Because in all likelihood, Injustice 3 is going to be boring.
The conclusion of Injustice 2 left very little for the imagination. Regardless of which ending proves to be the canon one, the events of Injustice 3 will more than likely pan out exactly as one would expect. Either Superman or Batman will find some way to escape their respective prisons, and the two cape-wearing crime-fighters with clash in their third consecutive conflict until one of them finds some way to get the edge over the other and the whole thing is repeated in Injustice 4. Even if some third party intervenes and forces them to form a tenuous alliance again, they'll still go back to smacking each other around once the common threat is neutralized. That is, unless the Mortal Kombat squad enters the fray. After all, the only people who could butt in on Supes and Bats' spotlight would be NetherRealm's own original characters. In a new MK vs DCU game, the conflict between Batman and Superman no longer takes precedent. It's a whole new game.
Mk Vs DCU 2 Would Be The Fighting Game Event Of The Century
With that new game would come some familiarity. It's fair to say that NetherRealm has become much more adept at both storytelling and game design since their last crossover title. Thanks to their increase in quality over time, it's much more likely that MK vs DCU 2 will strike a chord with players. At the very least, it will play as well as any other NetherRealm fighter, and it is just as likely that in some facet the characters will be just as well written. Those snappy, laughable character dialogues before every fight would be as present as ever, and with two casts who have (for the most part) never encountered each other before, there is a whole new world of comedic quips to explore.
However, that's just judging the game in its own bubble. In a wider cultural context, a half-decent MK vs DCU game would finally give fighting game fans a crossover experience to rival the likes of Marvel vs Capcom. Capcom's own incredibly successful series that crosses into the realm of comics has been a beloved mainstay of the fighting game community since the 90's. Unfortunately, its last release, Marvel vs Capcom Infinite, did not go over well with fans and newcomers alike, and since then the FGC has been in dire need of a game that carries the intensity of two colossal franchises colliding. This is, of course, not counting Super Smash Bros., over which fans still argue whether or not it even is a fighting game. Regardless, the FGC has been pining for a traditional crossover fighter of sufficient quality for them to claim with any sense of pride. Given that the community has been on somewhat shaky terms with Capcom in recent years, NetherRealm has the perfect opportunity to sweep in and steal their rival's thunder with a truly great crossover fighter; something that a mere Injustice sequel could never do.
Unfortunately, aside from a small tease by the Injustice comics writer and the possibility of an announcement at the upcoming DC FanDome, fans have heard no hard news of any sort regarding a DC-related fighting game, and especially not anything for a Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe 2 title. However, the jury is still out, and it would be one of the FGC's most exciting events in recent times if a new crossover title was announced. Of course, it goes without saying that life is too short not to see Sub-Zero tear out Batman's spinal column.