John Wick was almost a playable character in Mortal Kombat 1

Mortal Kombat 1 was released on Sept. 14 and already includes around 20 playable characters, but if NetherRealm had gotten their way, iconic film character John Wick would have been the 21st.

Game director and co-creator Ed Boon revealed in an interview John Wick was considered for a role in the game, as the team is inspired by modern action cinema. However, the team was unable to make it happen.

“I could certainly see the John Wicks of the world… as a matter of fact, that is one of the ones that we tried to get–John Wick–in Mortal Kombat, and we didn’t get it,” he told Rolling Stone.

The movie license’s main protagonist coming to Mortal Kombat 1 would have been a match made in heaven, with its both bloody and fun action scenes and atmosphere.

In the lengthy Rolling Stone interview, Ed Boon discussed the whole license and its evolution since the first title’s release in 1992. He revealed the team wanted to get Jean-Claude Van Damme in the license for decades, who refused multiple offers before finally seeing him join Mortal Kombat 1.

Of course, this isn’t the first time John Wick has been linked to a gaming franchise. Back in 2019, the ass-kicking movie character appeared in Fortnite, complete with his own skin and quests.

If the team is as convinced to get John Wick as they were for famous martial artist Van Damme, he might eventually join the license, even if they were refused already.