Mortal Kombat 1: Homelander, Peacemaker, Li Mei and More Confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con
After numerous leaks and rumors, NetherRealm Studios has finally confirmed that Homelander and Peacemaker are coming to Mortal Kombat 1 as special guest characters. They’ll be joined by Invincible’s Image Comics hero Omniman, created by Robert Kirkman, and recurring Mortal Kombat characters Quan Chi, Armac, Takeda, Lee Mei, Tanya, and Baraka.
NetherRealm Studios revealed the new additions to Mortal Kombat 1 at its San Diego Comic-Con panel, which featured series director Ed Boon and several members of the development team.
Homelander and Peacemaker are ready for combat
Homelander and Peacemaker are the most notable additions to Mortal Kombat 1’s roster. They are part of an established tradition of guest characters that have previously included Xenomorphs, Predators, and other characters. A few months ago, an Amazon listing revealed that the character Homelander would be joined by Quan Chi, Omniman, Takeda, and Ermac in the first DLC Combat Pack, but this is the first time he’s actually been revealed.
Homelander rose to fame as the main antagonist of The Boys, and with the full Gen V release date set, he’s been popping up in even more games lately. His other appearances include a cameo appearance in Call of Duty, where his thermal vision proved to be very powerful. The Peacemaker, played by John Cena in the James Gunn-scripted series, has also grown in popularity since his positive reception in 2022. Netherrealm parent company Warner Bros. Discovery has revealed in a press release that Homelander will not be available as a playable character until spring 2024.
Omniman isn’t as famous as Homelander or Peacemaker, but comic book fans will be familiar with it. He was played by J.K. Simmons on Invincible, and his reveal coincided with the impending release of the show’s second season.
Besides the six new playable characters, the first Combat Pack also includes a Jean-Claude Van Damme skin for the character Johnny Cage and five new cameo fighters: Fela, Johnny Cage, Hameleon, Mavado, and Tremor.
Lee May returns with Tanya and Baraka
In addition to the DLC characters, NetherRealm Studios has also confirmed that Lee May will be joining the Mortal Kombat 1 roster. Previously played by Tara Strong, Lee May last appeared as an NPC in Mortal Kombat X. Her addition is part of a broader effort to redefine the origins of Mortal Kombat’s familiar characters.
Elsewhere, Tanya and Baraka will also be playable. It looks like all three are on the roster rather than appearing as cameos. This system is somewhat controversial as it turns some fan-favorite characters into unplayable assists. Baraka is a particularly famous character whose roots go back to Mortal Kombat II.
Mortal Kombat 1 was announced at Warner Bros. Discovery’s earnings call in May. The sequel to 2019’s Mortal Kombat 11 is the franchise’s next major installment, serving as a reboot of the series and “introducing a reborn Mortal Kombat universe.”
Mortal Kombat 1 comes September 19th for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch. For more on Mortal Kombat 1, check out our interview with series creator Ed Boon about why NetherRealm chose to develop Mortal Kombat 1 over his Injustice 3.
You can find all the rest of our coverage of San Diego Comic-Con here.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s Director of News and co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Any tips? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.
