Look, I get it. This is most probably a joke. It’s not a well-written joke, but it’s a joke nonetheless.

I’m referring to the very recent article released by Jezebel, the writer points out that, while the new live-action Mortal Kombat does look good, she’s appears bewildered that there is one character who was inconspicuously missing. One specific iconic character who has shown her mettle in fighting games for decades and can definitely stand her own against the forces of Outworld. Go watch the (super bloody violent) trailer and see if you can see who the Jezebel writer is referring to.

It should be obvious to anyone who’s played the Mortal Kombat games that Chun-Li should be in the… wait. What?

There is some doubt that Jezebel might just be trolling us. There are a few points of note that do lead me to believing the writer’s intention is disingenuous is the high and mighty tone. The writer even states she’s an “astute film critic” to drive the point home on how smart she is. Also, I would believe Jezebel, a much larger operation than this humble website, would have a battery of editors to go over the posts before they’re put up. Wouldn’t one of them catch this?

Still, maybe I’m giving them too much credit. Maybe they are doofuses who didn’t know Chun-Li is from Street Fighter and doesn’t belong in the Mortal Kombat universe until the post was plastered on their site. However, I will give them credit for all the hits the article is garnering because of the controversy. And I’ll admit, I’m a little jealous. So why not double-down or even triple down on the clickbait?

With that in mind, here are three more characters who got snubbed from the live-action Mortal Kombat movie.

Batman

If there’s one crime fighter who is willing to take on the forces of a demonic parallel universe, it’s definitely Batman! The Caped Crusader is definitely no stranger to battling Outworld forces. He’s clashed with them, along with his fellow Justice League members. He’s also partnered with Sonya Blade and the other Earthrealm defenders! He’s already proven his mettle against these dedicated martial artists. So how come the folks at Warner Bros. not putting him in the live-action Mortal Kombat?

This is obviously a huge missed opportunity as there is so much deep lore they can pull from the games! Can’t you just imagine The Dark Knight tricking Raiden into shooting a lightning bolt at him and then shooting it back by using the Bat-Lightning Rod he carries in his utility belt? Imagine the huge twist and the shock on dedicated fighting game fans when it’s revealed it was actually the Joker underneath Shao Khan’s bony helmet and he’s been commanding the forces of Outworld all this time! I would believe the Mortal Kombat fans would just leap out of their seats and applaud until their hands literally fall off!

Freddy Krueger

Out of all the movie characters out there, the one that really should be in the new Mortal Kombat movie is Freddy Krueger. Oh, you can debate other characters like Leatherface, Jason or even the Predator. They would also be fine but, obviously, Freddy Krueger should have been in there as he’s become an integral part of the lore since he appeared in the ninth installment, which just so happens to be a reboot of the Mortal Kombat franchise!

With the Springwood Slasher being a huge part of every Mortal Kombat game since his original appearance (sans the Mortal Kombat 10 and 11, the latest ones in the franchise), it’s a huge glaring mistake to not feature him in the live-action film. After all, there are so many fanservice moments they can pull from, like the time Freddy and Scorpion started a barbecue to roast marshmallows. Or that time when he and Baraka opened up a barber shop but sold the business to a loan shark, which led to hijinxs with Freddy trying to scrounge up the money to buy the shop back.

Ah, good times.

Sonic the Hedgehog (the original CGI design)

Longtime Mortal Kombat fans know how important Sonic the Hedgehog is to the franchise’s story. After all, it was because he gave one of his golden rings to Sonya Blade that she was able to start throwing her purple projectile in the first game. Sonic was also the only one who saw Kabal’s potential that he took it upon himself to teach the gas mask wearing character to run super fast. So I am super disappointed he didn’t appear in the Mortal Kombat trailer.

Of course, they would have to use the “realistic” version of the Blue Blur that was shown during the first live-action Sonic the Hedgehog trailer. I mean, that was the entire purpose of showing it in the first place! Most people think this was Paramount thinking this is was Sonic fans wanted to see before all of the backlash made them alter his look. Nosirrie! I have it on good authority the old CGI model was actually a stealth marketing stunt by Warner Bros! They secretly inked a deal with Paramount Pictures to intentionally create this horrible monstrosity so that fans wouldn’t be shocked when Sonic appeared in the Mortal Kombat film looking the way he did. The story was supposed to go that Sonic arrived on Outworld but got captured by Shang Tsung to used his magic to warp the way he looked, which would eventually be the gag inducing creature we saw in the original trailers. They spent so much money so I cannot fathom why they abandoned it. I mean the payoff was going to be huge!

Oh, I read that Sonic would get his head uppercutted off by Johnny Cage. And everyone in the audience would sob in sadness from seeing this abomination get decapitated… or they would cheer? It’s a tossup, if I’m being honest.

BONUS: The Iron Giant

Now, I know The Iron Giant has never appeared in any of the Mortal Kombat games. But I’m still totally shocked he isn’t in the movie.

Now, you may question why I would think Warner Bros. would put the good hearted metallic robot from a PG film in their ultra-violent R rated fighting gorefest. But the answer is so obvious that I’m amazed they didn’t think of it. The biggest reason why the Iron Giant should be in the upcoming live-action Mortal Kombat movie is that it will become the launchpad for the entire Warner Bros. Movie Universe!

This will allow them to open up to other crossover movies like Harry Potter interacting with Bugs Bunny in the third Space Jam movie. Pennywise the Clown taking on Gandalf the Grey for control of the One Ring. Dirty Harry, Mad Max and Pazuzu in a Mexican stand off for Regan’s soul. Tarzan and Cool Hand Luke in a buddy cop flick. Heck, why not really go all the way and have Neo try to help Ace Ventura as he latter tries to acclimatize himself to life outside The Matrix! The possibilities are endless!

What other characters (other than Chun-Li) do you positively and totally, utterly believe should be in the upcoming Mortal Kombat movie? Let me know in the comments section below!