Ed Boon On The Chances Of A Marvel vs DC Fighting Game And INJUSTICE 3

Would you want to see a Marvel vs DC Comics fighting game in the same style as Marvel vs Capcom? Ed Boon weighs in and also talks Injustice 3.

By MarkJulian - Aug 27, 2023 10:08 AM EST

Filed Under: Injustice

When promoting Mortal Kombat 1 (also known as Mortal Kombat 12) at Gamescom, NetherRealm's Ed Boon was unable to avoid questions regarding the progress of Injustice 3.

Injustice: Gods Among Us, the franchise's debut game, enjoyed both critical and commercial success, selling more than 4 million copies globally. Likewise, Injustice 2 sold more than 2.3 million copies globally as both games garnered praise for their story, graphics, and fighting mechanics.

Since the video game's release, the Injustice universe (whose events take place on Earth-49) has firmly cemented itself in DC Comics canon with the video game series also serving as the inspiration for a 2021 direct-to-video animated feature film from WB Animation.

"The way it works with me at least, I can't speak about everybody else, is I always have a notepad file on my computer with ideas of like, 'Oh, we could do this, we could do that.' And I started an Injustice 3 one when we were on Injustice 2," Boon told ComicBook. "There's always a hit list of ideas and concepts and look into this, look into that. So there's absolutely a file that exists."

Boon was also asked about the chances of NetherRealm making a Marvel Comics vs DC game and the video game legend stated that he'd love to take the challenge on but there are obviously a lot of challenges to overcome to get the rival comic publishers to collaborate.

"I mean, we did a number of games with DC characters. When you're kids and you're like, 'Who would win in a fight, Mighty Mouse or Superman?' Just these dumb different universe things. There's part of us that still [has those] immature conversations. To me, Spider-Man and Batman would be the coolest thing in the world. So of course we'd love to do that. But it's probably very difficult to jump that hurdle."

Marvel and DC haven't collaborated since 2003's JLA/Avengers crossover event and since then, the two companies have become rivals in not just comics but also film and television.

With every media company anxious to increase the value of its brand these days, the chances of a Marvel vs DC Comics game are probably slim to none.

Mortal Kombat 1 is set to hit the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, and PC next month on September 19, 2023.

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37 Comments

Origame - 8/27/2023, 10:45 AM

I mean, netherrealm is owned by wb. They literally can't due to rights.

But then again injustice 3 could bridge the gap with similar characters.

Jaime Reyes is already there and is a great substitute for spiderman. Dr fate in place of Dr strange. The guardian in place of captain america. Captain marvel and black Adam work as a Thor like character.

In short, it'd be cool but you gotta remember rights are a thing.

CorndogBurglar - 8/27/2023, 12:06 PM

@Origame - It's always possible, as long as Marvel and WB are willing to make it happen. But that's the hard part. Neither of them are going to work together, and Marvel/Disney certainly isn't going to let Netherrealm make a game with their characters. Which feels really ignorant to me. The two biggest superhero franchises in the world, in a fighting game in the same vein as the 2nd most popular fighting game franchise in the world? Seems like it would print its own money.

Origame - 8/27/2023, 12:16 PM

@CorndogBurglar - it's possible, yes. But I really don't see it happening. Certainly not under netherrealm.

Maybe if they had a third party dev like Capcom to kinda mediate between the two brands.

CorndogBurglar - 8/27/2023, 12:23 PM

@Origame - Yeah, but WB owns Netherrealm. They would have to pay any other studio to make it. It's far cheaper for their own in-house studio to do it then going to a 3rd party. I would think Marvel would be all about that. It just means you make more profits at the end of the day. And Netherrealm is a hugely popular studio responsible for 2 of the top 3 fighting game franchises right now. Marvel would be ignorant not to want them to make it.

Origame - 8/27/2023, 12:26 PM

@CorndogBurglar - but that's the thing. Wb would get the majority of the profits since it's their company making the game.

If it's something like Capcom, it'd be an even split. As well as easier to ensure both sides are represented the best.

DrReedRichards - 8/27/2023, 10:47 AM

DC and NRS are part of WB, Marvel are part of Disney, and Spidey belongs to Sony. It all comes down to studio agreements. That's all there is to it.

Kurne - 8/27/2023, 11:55 AM

@DrReedRichards - Sony has nothing to do with game Spidey's rights. He can show up anywhere.

The Insomniac game(s) are Playstation exclusives but that's it and has nothing to do with the character. The game was simply made for the PS4 after Marvel approached different studios to make any Marvel game, and then after the success of that they were folded into Playstation studios. The Avengers game having Spidey as an exclusive was Sony simply trying their greedy exclusivity deals, and trying to force synergy/association of Spidey with the PS brand. But that was it. They have no control over Spidey in games otherwise. That's why he's in Midnight Suns and Ultimate Alliance 3 for example, and would also be fine showing up in an MK game.

CorndogBurglar - 8/27/2023, 12:11 PM

@DrReedRichards - Yeah, Spidey is owned by Disney. Only his movie rights are owned by Sony.

It seems crazy to me that WB and Disney wouldn't be willing to work together on something like this. If they could just agree that they both split cost anthe profits it could be huge for them.

Matador - 8/28/2023, 8:56 AM

@CorndogBurglar - Actually NetherRealm Studios or WB can get the Marvel License for the game to be used for a DC vs Marvel game. They have been handing out there licenses of Disney characters to other studios it's easier for them to do that and make a profit rather than Disney to have there own studio making videogames.
But it's up to them and how there going to be represented when they give them the yay or nay.

Just like Kurne says for Midnight Suns from Firaxis.

bkmeijer1 - 8/27/2023, 10:50 AM

In another interview I heard him say it's quite difficult to get licensed characters, so I doubt we'll see a WB-owned studio get Marvel characters.

Much rather just see an Injustice 3 and a new fighter game focused on all the 80s licensed characters they have and still can get (Terminator, Rambo, Alien, etc.).

CorndogBurglar - 8/27/2023, 12:13 PM

@bkmeijer1 - It's hard to get licensed characters, but they've been able to get several for each MK game for the past decade. So it's doable. But this is different. Getting your biggest rival/competitor to do business with you is probably next to impossible.

bkmeijer1 - 8/27/2023, 12:46 PM

@CorndogBurglar - it is doable, bit like Boon said in that interview you get more no's than yes's. With Marvel? It's most likely gonna be no. Especially if Capcom is gonna make another Capcom vs Marvel

Reeds2Much - 8/27/2023, 10:56 AM

Who would win in a fight, Mighty Mouse or Superman?

Obviously Mighty Mouse. Kryptonian abilities plus Toon Force.

DrReedRichards - 8/27/2023, 10:58 AM

@Reeds2Much -

Early reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Almost alarmingly so.

Reeds2Much - 8/27/2023, 11:05 AM

@DrReedRichards - Well, that's just prime.

DrReedRichards - 8/27/2023, 11:25 AM

@Reeds2Much -

Not gonna lie, I liked it better when we were prepared for disappointment, without a ton of hype to live up to...

TheUnworthyThor - 8/27/2023, 11:20 AM

It’ll happen someday. Coordinating the rights is tricky but there is money to be made there and someday they’ll want that money. In the meantime though can we get like a great Marvel-centric fighting game?

CorndogBurglar - 8/27/2023, 12:17 PM

@TheUnworthyThor - You would think it would be easy. If both studios just sat down and said, "We split the cost of creating the game. We split the earnings down the middle. WB, you own the studio doing the game, so here you go. A list of our characters you can use. Let's make money!"

And then it's just a matter if attorneys writing up a document that allows WB to use that list of characters and all the Marvel logos and everything.

FireandBlood - 8/27/2023, 11:21 AM

Closest thing to this rn is Fortnite, with all the DC and Marvel characters running around

mountainman - 8/27/2023, 11:33 AM

Yeah I don’t see this happening due to rights issues.

Mortal Kombat 1 looks great. And an eventual Injustice 3 would be awesome as well.

CaptainFlapjaks - 8/28/2023, 1:42 AM

@mountainman - one way you could do injustice 3 is have the superman wins ending be the canonical ending and have booster gold entering that time period to stop it from happening

RitoRevolto - 8/27/2023, 12:14 PM

Just give us X-Men Legends 3. That seems more practical than WB making money off of Disney properties.

OrgasmicPotatoe - 8/27/2023, 12:30 PM

It's not gonna happen anytime soon, but even I,who hates fighting games, would be kinda interested to try it, purely because of the brands.

TheVandalore - 8/27/2023, 12:58 PM

I had a sad realization the other day.... we think we are living in the best time to be a comic nerd right now, but some day in the future all of the DC and Marvel characters will enter the public domain and there will be Justice League VS The Avengers movies and video games with logically way better graphics than we have now.

And were all gonna be too dead to enjoy any of it.

Slotherin - 8/27/2023, 9:04 PM

@TheVandalore - you just made me sad

SauronthePower - 8/27/2023, 1:17 PM

With respect to all of the post/poster responses above: guys, there is no way in this, or any other, reality that Disney is going to allow Netherrealm anywhere near their properties.

While the ‘Heroic Brutalities’ were cool in their day (though they are often derided by Boon’s base, there is Z-E-R-O chance that Iger is going to let the biggest cinematic draw in the industry share screentime with intestines getting ripped out.

Literally None

Even if Boon were to massively tone down the violence (which he cannot, that genie’s already been uncorked) there is no way Disney would allow visual representations of their biggest cash cow to commiserate with Ed Boon’s own special brand of humor

ModHaterSLADE - 8/27/2023, 1:34 PM

Better off with MUGEN than waiting for it to ever happen.

Lokiwasright - 8/27/2023, 2:24 PM

Anything is possible.

Ed Boon On The Chances Of A Marvel vs DC Fighting Game And INJUSTICE 3

Would you want to see a Marvel vs DC Comics fighting game in the same style as Marvel vs Capcom? Ed Boon weighs in and also talks Injustice 3.

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