Ed Boon Wants a Street Fighter Character in Mortal Kombat, Downplays Rivalry

Mortal Kombat co-creator Ed Boon has shared his wishlist for future guest characters in the fighting game series. In a new interview with Collider promoting the Mortal Kombat 2 movie, Boon confirmed that another Mortal Kombat game is in development at NetherRealm, though he declined to provide specifics. When asked about desired guest characters, he mentioned Street Fighter, noting that a crossover would finally deliver the dream match-up fans have awaited for 30 years.

"I would love to see a Street Fighter character in Mortal Kombat. I’m a huge fan of Street Fighter," Boon said. He also expressed interest in DC and Marvel characters, saying, "We’ve had Joker as a really dark character, but DC and Marvel, it would be a lot of fun to see those characters as well."

Mortal Kombat is renowned for its guest characters, often drawn from violent entertainment. Past guests include The Terminator, Ghostface, and Rambo. Boon suggested Deadpool and Wolverine could be great fits if Marvel gives the green light.

However, the likelihood of such crossovers remains uncertain. A Mortal Kombat vs. Street Fighter game has been rumored for years, but Capcom has shown no inclination to participate. Street Fighter is far less gory than Mortal Kombat, and including characters like Ryu and Chun-Li would subject them to graphic violence.

Boon also addressed the long-standing rivalry between Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter, which began in the early '90s and resurfaced recently with competing film promotions. At the 2025 Game Awards, Andrew Shultz, who plays Dan Hibiki in the upcoming Street Fighter film, jokingly claimed the Mortal Kombat team "only care about money" and skipped the awards show to promote their movie. Boon dismissed the jab, calling the rivalry "fun" and insisting there are "no hard feelings."

"At the end of the day, I think we'll see, when both films have been released, how they both did and stuff. But honestly, I'd love to see them both do well, just because there's an audience for more, which would be great," he said.

Given that NetherRealm is owned by Warner Bros. Games, which also owns DC, a DC guest character (like in the rumored Injustice 3) seems more plausible than a Marvel one. NetherRealm previously released Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe in 2008, proving they know how to pit Sub-Zero against Batman.