In 2021, Warner Bros. released Pictures and NetherRealm's first live-action Mortal Kombat movie in 24 years, and while it was praised by audiences, one complaint still lingered: Cole Young. A completely original character created just for the movie, he was derided for overshadowing the rest of the roster and literally having a plot.
However, in a new interview with Comicbook.com, series creator Ed Boon revealed that Cole Young almost made it into the games.
“When we were making Mortal Kombat 1, the last game we did, we had these fighters, these side fighters called cameo fighters, and we talked for a while about scaring everybody and making a cameo fighter Cole Young in the game, just to tie the games and the movies together,” Ed Boon explained. “But then we ran out of time, had to start another game, and then it never happened again.
What “next game” is Ed Boon teasing?
As for what the “next game” could be, while some took Ed Boon's comment as a hint of a new Mortal Kombat, it's widely believed that NetherRealm is indeed working on Injustice 3.
At a recent convention, Superman actor George Newbern reportedly outright confirmed that he was working on a sequel, while Warner Bros' reliable multiverse game leaker dropped a very obvious hint at the game in 2025 when he posted: “Turning off the multiverse is an injustice, then doing it all over again is another injustice. It leaves me with no injustice again.”
Ed Boon even said in 2023 that the team plans to return to Injustice after the launch of Mortal Kombat 1.
In hindsight, NetherRealm may have dodged a bullet considering the heat that Mortal Kombat 1 was already experiencing with a lackluster launch and aggressive MTX practices. Adding one of the most hated characters in the franchise, with fan favorites like Jade sorely missing, would undoubtedly add to the backlash. Fortunately, it's hard to imagine Cole Young stealing a spot in the new Injustice game.
- Released
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September 19, 2023
- ESRB
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M For Adults 17+ due to blood and gore, Intense violence, Strong language
- Developers
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NetherRealm Studios
- Publishers
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Warner Brothers Games
- Engine
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Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
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Online multiplayer
- Cross-platform play
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PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S
