Since the full roster of DLC characters in the Kombat Pack for NetherRealm Studios' 2019Mortal Kombat 11were revealed in August, Shang Tsung, Nightwolf, the Terminator T-800 andmost recently Sindelhave all had their time to shine.
Now fans are awaiting the appearance of DC Comics' iconic super villain Joker inMortal Kombat 11at the end of the month, but Reddit user SwiftKick97 has posited what it would look like if the upcoming fighter were based on Joaquin Phoenix from the 2019 filmJoker.
SwiftKick97’s art was posted to the r/MortalKombat subreddit just a few hours ago, but as of this writing has been upvoted nearly 1,000 times. It showcases what appears to be an in-game model in the style ofthat August reveal trailerusing the titular character from Todd Phillips' psychological thriller in his red suit and face paint — though sans green hair, wig or dyed.
RELATED:Why Joker is the Perfect Fit for Mortal Kombat 11 DLC
The film has received critical acclaim, making it onto the Oscar shortlist for “Best Musical Score” and “Best Makeup and Hairstyling,” as well as being nominated for multiple Golden Globes including “Best Drama” and a “Best Performance” nod to Phoenix. Its wave of popularity following an October release coincided well with thefirstMortal Kombat 11Joker footageshown at the 2019 Game Awards.
This is not the first Joaquin Phoenix-inspired Joker fan art forMortal Kombat 11that has circulated the Internet since the character’s announcement. However, while some designs havegrafted Phoenix’s aesthetic onto the more Heath Ledger-inspired model, SwiftKick97’s piece looks to be more of a direct translation of the most recent cinematic Joker if he were to appear in game. Something like an echo fighter inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate.
Hype for Joker to be released has only skyrocketed witha teaser dropping on New Year’s Dayfollowing the Winter Wonderland holiday event. SwiftKick97’s post appears to have captured some of that excitement and inspired a number of theories on how a Joker based on the most recent film would be built.
For instance, Reddit user Kensei_Main says in the comments that “we live in a society” could be a brutality quote. Meanwhile FullmetalJun suggests Phoenix’s now-iconic staircase dance could be an intro for the character. However shader_m instead believes that Joker’s fatality would in some way involve dancing.
The ideas practically write themselves, and withJoker’s financial and critical success it would honestly seem silly for NetherRealm Studios to not try and capitalize on that success with at least a small reference.
Mortal Kombat 11is out now for PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One.
