An unsuspecting Mortal Kombat creator may have inadvertently discovered the next guest character in the series. And if it’s true, it would be an inspired choice to join the morbid cast of colorful rogues, mages, and martial artists.
Ghostface, the central slasher in the Scream series and probably the most recognizable horror icon of the 90s, is likely the next featured guest character for 2023’s Mortal Kombat 1. YouTube creator Interloko was the first to uncover evidence of the character’s inclusion on Wednesday.
“I was extracting the sounds from the Mileena announcer when I found what could the confirmation of a rumored DLC character: Ghostface,” Interloko tweeted.
Mileena clearly says “Ghostface” with two different inflections among all of the character's interstitial match proclamations. The discovery seems to imply that the serial stabber will appear either as a playable character, or as a selectable Kameo, a selectable secondary character who can help combatants deal damage, initiate combos, or defend against opponents.
NetherRealm did not immediately respond to requests for comment regarding a future Ghostface appearance.
The Mortal Kombat franchise is no stranger to the horror. From Leatherface and the Xenomorph to Freddy Kruger and Jason Vorhees, the recent list of guest characters in the ultraviolent fighting series has doubled as an index of icons in the beloved film genre. Around the time of Mortal Kombat’s launch last September, series creator Ed Boon even teased Ghostface as a playable character in a tweet.
Created by horror mastermind Wes Craven and first appearing in the director’s aforementioned 1996 film, Ghostface has been the recurring antagonist terrorizing the troop of trope-y teenagers living in the fictional town of Woodsboro, California. Despite always being armed with their signature Buck 120 knife, Ghostface has been portrayed by a variety of characters and motivated by causes typically related to series protagonist Sidney Prescott (played by scream queen Nieve Campbell). The serial murderer’s most recent appearance was in the 2022 sequel starring Jenna Ortega and Melissa Barrera.
It’ll be interesting to see which version of Ghostface will be featured if the slasher does appear in Mortal Kombat. Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich’s memorable portrayal of the character in the first movie would be an easy way to strike up nostalgia among horror fans. It would be even cooler if NetherRealm could secure several of the Hollywood actors who have donned the iconic mask to return, giving players a chance to pick their favorite portrayal.
There aren’t many horror icons left for Mortal Kombat to take on, but those who are left would be a welcome addition. Pinhead, another Wes Craven creation featured prominently in the Hellraiser series, would fit like a glove among Mortal Kombat’s legacy characters. Chucky, the red-headed doll possessed by the soul of a murderous convict, would be a fun novelty character despite his diminutive stature. And the inclusion of either the cerebral Jigsaw of the Saw movies or Michael Myers of the Halloween franchise would be a great way to round out appearances by some of the genre’s most memorable antagonists.
In the meantime, the first wave of Mortal Kombat 1 guest characters is still being rolled out for players who bought into the game’s first season pass. This week, despicable hero Homelander from the Amazon hit series The Boys was added to the game, complete with some appropriately disturbing fatalities.
