Summary
NetherRealm’sInjusticeduology is a cherished slice of the DC mythology, particularly in how it adapts certain characters and how it finally allows them to demonstrate semi-graphic violence, unlikeMortal Kombat vs. DC Universe.Injusticestill isn’t remotely as macabre and gory asMortal Kombatis, and yet it’s as effective as it can be—on a granular level it wouldn’t make any sense for Catwoman to battle Doomsday, anyway, and so logic vanishes from the discourse immediately.
There’s currently no telling if a thirdInjusticegame will ever be made with several odd obstacles in its way, but its narrative is at an even stranger impasse.Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguestripped the wind fromInjustice’s sailsand essentially robbed it of its plot, perhaps with Warner Bros. knowingly conceding to no futureInjusticegame being in active development. So if anInjustice 3does enter into development now, it either needs to double down on a plot that’s already been executed and highly maligned or retcon its past narrative for something wholly separate.
Injustice Doubling Down on a Brainiac Invasion Could Be a High Risk, High Reward Scenario
The only reason NetherRealm and WB should ever want to continue the narrative thatInjustice 2’s divisive endingsdelivered is if they believe they can tell it better than Rocksteady did because whereSuicide Squadpicks up is where one ofInjustice 2’s cliffhangersleave off. It would be nothing short of outlandishly bold ifInjustice 3was announced and revealed to be a direct continuation ofInjustice 2, but doing so could yield potentially favorable results.
To be fair,Suicide Squad’s plot happens to be an interpretation of the ‘bad’ ending, or Superman ending, fromInjustice 2, and whileInjustice 3could simply follow the ‘good’ ending, or Batman ending, it could want to reinvent itself anyhow and now would be the optimal time to do so.
NetherRealm and WB could see the response to howSuicide Squadapproached this plot and drastically course correct forInjustice, delivering a more agreeable take on the same story of Brainiac’s invasion being successful and having characters forced to put down beloved DC legends. Still, it might not be enough to either cleanse or chase the taste ofSuicide Squad, especially so soon after its release. It seems unfair that NetherRealm didn’t get a chance to see this plot through before it was scalped; on the other hand, that hopefully and ideally would present NetherRealm with a tenable excuse tostartInjusticeanew.
Injustice Retconning Its Entire Lore May Be for the Best
The Batman ending inInjustice 2is a blank slate as it is, but rewriting the lore and canon wholly could offer NetherRealm even more creativity without needing to pigeonhole itself to whatever loose threads still linger. A clean slate with a retconned narrative or a full-blown reboot of the lore might be a dizzying pain, but enough time has passed and a hard reset may be the simplest course of action on paper following how poorlySuicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaguewas received.
Staying clear of that game’s ongoing narrative would be a no-brainer, and in many ways help NetherRealm dodge a proverbial bullet itself because it could avoid that storyline and offer another original story that has had more time in the oven since then.Suicide Squad’s loose tethers to Rocksteady’s beloved Arkhamversewere partly to blame for why it didn’t go over well and maybe NetherRealm’s take on Brainiac-infested DC characters would’ve been phenomenal.
The ‘evil Superman’ trope has become oversaturated now, too—not just in DC but also in superhero media likeThe BoysorInvincible, two IPs that NetherRealm clearly adores as it’s tapped them forMortal Kombat 1’s first DLC Kombat Pack.
A reboot could whisk Kal-El back to his boy scout roots without having to explain how or why. Of course, NetherRealm doling out two franchise reboots back to back might be a hard sell and it would be difficult not to see that as a lack of creativity, though it could be a necessary path to take if players ever want to see their favorite DC characters in a fighting game again.
Maybe this time around it might not depend on Batman and Superman as much, electing instead to have two unique mascots or factions in a warring conflict. Characters can return reinvented and new characters can debut unhindered by a lack of previous development. Either way, the farther NetherRealm can get from the story it originally established, the better.
Injustice 2
WHERE TO PLAY
Power up and build the ultimate version of your favourite DC legends in INJUSTICE 2.EVERY BATTLE DEFINES YOU: With every match you’ll earn gear to equip, customise and evolve your roster.A NEW THREAT RISES: Picking up where Injustice left off, Batman struggles against Superman’s regime, as a new threat appears that will put Earth’s very existence at risk.THE BEST OF DC: Choose from the biggest DC Universe roster ever and battle across iconic locations in epic-scale battles.BUILT BY NETHERREALM: Developers of the best-selling and critically acclaimed MORTAL KOMBAT franchise.
