Ed Boon has wanted Mortal Kombat to get Van Damme “for about 30 years”

A new installment of the Mortal Kombat saga Is launching soon. A reboot that promises action, intensity, and violence in one of the most beloved and popular fighting games in history, and in which, as usual, there will be moments, fatalities, and special guests to remember. One of those has been a dream for the devs to achieve for 30 years and is partly one of the reasons for the origin of Mortal Kombat as a game. Ed Boon, creator of the saga, has spoken about what it means to have Jean-Claude Van Damme in the new game.

During Gamescom, a reporter asked Ed Boon about a character they couldn’t get but that would be perfect for the game. A question to which the creator of the game responded “It was Jean-Claude Van Damme for about 30 years, and we got him finally for this game. And we got his voice too.” The arrival of Van Damme is a historic milestone for Mortal Kombat, a series that has already seen licenses such as Terminator, Rambo, RoboCop, Alien, and many more. The Belgian legend of action cinema finally lets himself be loved by Mortal Kombat fans.

Mortal Kombat and Jean-Claude Van Damme, history in video games

The dream of having Jean-Claude Van Damme in the game has been a constant for Ed Boon for three decades. The creator of Mortal Kombat originally wanted to make a game adaptation of the movie Bloodsport, a film starring Van Damme from the late 80s. The Belgian actor’s refusal meant turning the project around, a change that would end up creating the Mortal Kombat brand and Johnny Cage as a character clearly reminiscent of Van Damme.

Mortal Kombat 1 will be available September 19, 2023 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.