The Injustice franchise might not be as prolific as the likes of Mortal Kombat or Tekken, but it's unquestionably unique and impactful, and its roster of well-realized DC characters is a big reason for that. Injustice 3, if and when it comes out, will be expected to continue this tradition of strong, fleshed-out playable characters, and thankfully, it has a rich comic book history to draw from.
It should go without saying that the likes of Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman—essentially any core member of the Justice League—will return in Injustice 3, but many other characters could be facing the cutting room floor. Fighters like Atrocitus and Captain Cold, who haven't left much of a mark on the Injustice 2 community, could very well be replaced come the third entry, and even the more relevant members of the game's cast could be at risk of elimination. Injustice 2 replaced a number of fan-favorites from the first game, after all, including Raven, Lex Luthor, and Solomon Grundy. All of this is to say that Injustice 3 may need to dig deep to provide the best possible roster, and some options are better than others.
Minor spoilers ahead for Injustice: Gods Among Us and Injustice 2.
Whether It’s Injustice 3 or a New Mortal Kombat, NetherRealm’s Next Game Should Revive This Feature
NetherRealm has a few options for what their next game could be, and one past game mode is absolutely worth bringing back for either Injustice or MK.
DC Characters That Should Be Added to Injustice 3
- Batgirl
- Beast Boy
- Clayface
- Doomsday
- El Diablo
- John Constantine
- Katana
- Killer Croc
- King Shark
- Martian Manhunter
- Mr. Terrific
- Plastic Man
- Steppenwolf
- Talia Al Ghul
- Terry McGinnis (Batman Beyond)
- Vixen
The above list highlights several DC Comics characters that, for one reason or another, would be a good fit for Injustice 3. Some, like Batgirl, Doomsday, and Talia Al Ghul, are simply too significant to ignore much longer—it wouldn't make sense to keep such iconic and lore-significant DC characters out of the franchise's third entry. Then there are characters who have grown in popularity since Injustice 2 was released all the way back in 2017, like King Shark, Steppenwolf, and Martian Manhunter, who have all been featured in various high-profile DC films and TV shows. Others, like Katana, Killer Croc, and El Diablo, have been hard done by in modern media, and could flourish in the video game medium.
Martian Manhunter, Doomsday, and Batgirl were featured in the first Injustice. Nevertheless, they should return in the series' next outing.
Cultural factors aside, there are several characters who should appear in Injustice 3 simply by virtue of their mechanical potential. For example, Plastic Man's powers of flexibility could make for some very interesting offensive and defensive maneuvers, and the sky's the limit when it comes to Mr. Terrific's advanced drone-based fighting. Then there's Vixen (who arguably should have been featured in Injustice 2 in place of Cheetah), whose powers of animal mimicry could facilitate a number of distinct playstyles. Similarly, Beast Boy's shapeshifting opens the door to novel gameplay opportunities.
What Characters Are Most Likely To Appear in Injustice 3?
While fantasizing about the dream Injustice 3 roster is nice, it's important to take practical factors into account: some DC characters are simply more likely to make an appearance in the threequel than others. For instance, while innumerable fans would certainly love nothing more than to play as Terry McGinnis' Batman, his appearance would require the game to cross over with Earth-12, which is possible, but potentially messy. Similarly, El Diablo was killed in Injustice 2, so his return as a playable character would need to be predicated on time-travel or dimension-hopping shenanigans.
Thus, the heroes most likely to appear in Injustice 3 are those who require the least amount of narrative justification relative to their popularity with general audiences. So characters like Beast Boy, Batgirl, and Killer Croc may be the most likely to appear, since they were among the most highly-requested additions ahead of Injustice 2's launch. Then again, the Injustice series has a very loose relationship with continuity, and it's exhibited some left-field choices in the past, so anything is possible.
Injustice 2
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 97%
- Released
- May 11, 2017
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- NetherRealm Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Warner Bros. Games
- Engine
- unreal engine 3, unreal engine 4
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Injustice
WHERE TO PLAY
Power up and build the ultimate version of your favourite DC legends in INJUSTICE 2.
EVERY BATTLE DEFINES YOU: With every match you'll earn gear to equip, customise and evolve your roster.
A NEW THREAT RISES: Picking up where Injustice left off, Batman struggles against Superman's regime, as a new threat appears that will put Earth's very existence at risk.
THE BEST OF DC: Choose from the biggest DC Universe roster ever and battle across iconic locations in epic-scale battles.
BUILT BY NETHERREALM: Developers of the best-selling and critically acclaimed MORTAL KOMBAT franchise.
