The Mortal Kombat series has long been known for its hyperviolence and extensive, yet utterly confusing, lore. And, yes, those are also the fighting franchise's strongest assets. But ever since the release of 2011's Mortal Kombat, which served as a sort of reboot for the series, guest characters and downloadable fighters from beyond the realms of the franchise have joined the otherworldly tournament and fought to the death with the likes of Goro, Sonya Blade and Jax.

The aforementioned reboot had Kratos from God of War in its PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita versions, showing fans how much of a tonal fit the character could be. Then Mortal Kombat X and XL came along, bringing with them a number of guest additions from the worlds of Hollywood horror. The Xenomorph from Alien, Freddy Krueger from Nightmare on Elm Street, Leatherface from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Jason from Friday the 13th and the Predator from Predator all joined the fight, and fans were all over it. Some even called for a NetherRealm Studios-developed horror icons fighting game.

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And while something like that wouldn't be wholly surprising in the future, for now fans of the franchise have Mortal Kombat 11 to look forward to. And while the roster for the game is already looking stacked, its never too early to take a look at some potential guest spots for downloadable content. Here are some of the most likely guest fighters to appear in Mortal Kombat 11. Unfortunately, Neo from The Matrix won't be among them.

ARAGORN

aragorn-army-of-the-dead

When you really think about it, a number of characters or creatures from the world of The Lords of the Rings make sense to duke it out in Mortal Kombat. Whether it's a Balrog, an Orc or a giant spider, there's certainly a place for them somewhere. Even the likes of Saruman or Sauron make sense, but what about Aragorn? He's no stranger to death, and quite literally bridges those worlds together as he fights to retake Middle-earth. An army of the dead sounds like a mighty cool finisher for someone like Aragorn.

The only tough bit here is the gore, which The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit haven't exactly delved deep on. With that in mind, maybe Talion from the Warner Bros. published Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor or Shadow of War could follow the same format. With Amazon Studios working on a new television series set in J.R.R. Tolkein's Lord of the Rings world, it's never too early to start that promotional period with some gruesome one-on-one fighting.

SPAWN

Spawn

A long-requested addition to the Mortal Kombat series, Spawn would certainly fit right in among Scorpion, Noob Saibot or Shao Kahn. There's a bit of precedent here for Spawn showing up in likely (or highly unlikely) places, as he was a guest fighter in the Xbox version of Soulcalibur II. Even beyond that, Spawn's creator Todd McFarlane has hinted numerous times that the hellspawn could be showing up in the world of Mortal Kombat. 

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And while certainly a ways off, there is a new Spawn movie in the works that will be directed by McFarlane himself. We could easily see Ed Boon and McFarlane coming together for something cool in celebration, even if it's explicitly tied to the Jamie Foxx-starring film.

DARK NIGHTS METAL

This is perhaps the most exciting entry on this list, as NetherRealm is no stranger to the worlds of DC, developing both titles in the Injustice: Gods Among Us series. On top of that, Scorpion was a guest character in Injustice: Gods Among Us, and there was even an entire game called Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, though it was a bit toned down when it came to the ultraviolence. So, if we can't tear Superman or Batman in half, what can we do? Well, Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo's Dark Nights Metal may have the answer.

The main crux of the comic book storyline is that these evil versions of Batman exist in a handful of alternate realities within the Dark Multiverse. These Batmen are sinister versions of Bruce Wayne whose identities have been fused with other DC characters. There's the Red Death (Flash/Batman), the Murder Machine (Cyborg/Batman), the Dawnbreaker (Green Lantern/Batman), the Drowned (Aquaman/Batman), the Merciless (Ares/Batman), the Devastator (Doomsday/Batman) and the Batman Who Laughs, a twisted mashup of the Joker and Batman.

We could see a world where the Batman Who Laughs is the main fighter and he calls in support from the other Dark Knights, not to mention his leashed, deadly Robins. We wouldn't mind tearing an evil Justice League apart.

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DEMENTORS

dementor kiss

When looking through the many properties that Warner Bros. potentially has access to as the publisher of Mortal Kombat, one doesn't quite fit: Harry Potter. And while it would certainly be something to see Snape, Dumbledore or even Voldemort go up against the deadly fighters in Mortal Kombat, they are all too recognizable to be approved for systematic dismemberment. The Dementors, on the other hand, might fit the bill just right.

They're mostly blank slates, serving as the devilish guardians of Azkaban. Their calling card? They suck the souls out of the unwilling and turn them into lifeless husks. We're thinking a cross between the fighting style of someone like Smoke with the mysticism of Quan Chi. And until we get an awesome Harry Potter game, we'd at least get to deal with these ghouls in Mortal Kombat.

MICHAEL MYERS

There are only really a couple of horror icons missing from the roster of Mortal Kombat XL, and with the resurgence of Michael Myers from a successful sequel to the Halloween series in 2018, now would be the perfect time to bring the terror to the battlefield. He'd be more standoffish than a fighter like Jason, focusing on sudden movements and surprise speed for his attacks, making him a formidable foe for characters like Baraka or Johnny Cage.

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Plus, we bet there would be some hilarious quips between Cage and Myers if there's a Hollywood set involved. Imagine Johnny Cage realizing he's part of a horror movie and using that in his intro. Honestly, the more self-referential we can get Johnny Cage, the better.

PENNYWISE

pennywise-header

The other missing horror link in Mortal Kombat is Pennywise, and the retro theme of Mortal Kombat 11 is the perfect excuse to include both Tim Curry's Pennywise and the terrifying clown from 2017's IT reboot. After all, there is a sequel to that reboot coming out later in 2019, and a DLC pack with a retro alternate costume would be a perfect way to promote the film.

His move set would be focused on everything from red balloon projectiles to his transformations. We could even see a fatality where the enemy character picks up a paper sailboat only to be ripped to shreds by the terror waiting below. We're getting scared just thinking about it.

KRATOS (AGAIN)

God-of-War-Kratos

Not only would Kratos' original incarnation be the perfect character to bring back for Mortal Kombat 11, but his new look from 2018's God of War could be a perfect tie-in to the time travel elements present in the upcoming game. We could have a move set balancing everything from Kratos' Blade of Chaos to his brand-new Leviathan Axe. He could use his shield bash, grapples and more to round out a move set that would feel right at home in the Mortal Kombat universe.

This would also set a precedent for past guest characters reappearing. And when games like Super Smash Bros. Ultimate find praise because "Everyone is here," it'd be nice to see that extended to other fighting franchises.

MARCUS FENIX

Gears of War

The protagonist of the original Gears of War trilogy, Marcus Fenix could make the perfect Xbox- and PC-exclusive guest fighter for Mortal Kombat 11. Not only is the third-person shooter franchise known for its hyperviolence and intense amounts of gore and blood, but also its one-liners and finishing moves. If there was ever a character from Microsoft's first party roster to make the leap, it'd be someone like Marcus Fenix, who can bring a ranged gameplay style to the series.

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He could fire his Lancer or Hammerburst, toss Spike Grenades and get up close and personal for his fatalities. And, of course, there's Gears 5 on the horizon. And even if Marcus Fenix may not be the main character, he'll certainly play a part in where the story goes next.

RIDLEY

Surprise! Okay, so this one isn't very likely, but we spent quite a while trying to figure out a potential Nintendo guest character for Mortal Kombat 11. And while most Nintendo villains are quite evil, we still couldn't picture Bowser, Ganondorf or Meta Knight going toe-to-toe with the fighters in Mortal Kombat. Ridley, though -- well, there's precedent for him being a killing machine.

The bane of Samus Aran's existence, the Space Pirate monster known as Ridley has certainly shown off his brutal side. In his reveal trailer for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Ridley basically killed Mario and Mega Man before going head-on with Samus herself. Ridley has also died and returned in numerous forms in the Metroid series, so seeing him "die" might not exactly be traumatic. It's wishful thinking, but we'd love to see Nintendo play along in support of Mortal Kombat 11 releasing on the Nintendo Switch.