NetherRealm Studios will always be known as the developer responsible for Mortal Kombat, but if you thought their shift to a fighting game based on the characters of DC Comics was groundwork for a future crossover -- you'd be wrong!

CVG are reporting comments from NetherRealm Creative Director Ed Boon, who says development of Injustice: Gods Among Us as a separate series will likely prevent any future meeting between the two franchises.

Never say never, of course, but we loved how our last Mortal Kombat game was strictly Mortal Kombat. And when you think about it, the last Mortal Kombat game we did, it really had the essence of the series more so than any other game in years.

With Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe, there's two pretty different audiences; one which wants to see violence and blood, and there's another that wants to see grand superhero moments. We were kind of balancing on a fence trying to accommodate both audiences with Mortal Kombat vs. DC.

Liu Kang battles Flash in Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe.

Boon oversaw development of the groups' first tryst with DC superheroes in the 2008 crossover - Mortal Kombat versus DC Universe. The title was the last published by Midway Entertainment.

MKvsDC is perhaps best remembered for perceived compromises imposed upon the violence associated with Mortal Kombat. While many of MK's trademarks were intact in reconigsed forms, even [Ed] Boon notes the contrast.

Funnily enough, we were playing Mortal Kombat vs. DC and we were surprised at how tame it was compared to Injustice."

Update: Boon has also talked to CVG about the future of the core Mortal Kombat series [full story], noting there are no plans for an immediate follow-up to the 2011 reboot, either.

Describing the popular practise of incremental updates to major titles in the fighting game genre, Boon discussed the importance and difficulties of providing a unique new experience in sequels. The MK co-creator has pointed to a new generation of hardware as the most likely destination for the next Mortal Kombat. Read the full story at ComputerAndVideogames.com.

I'm a big fan of fighting games, but some of them I've seen are just a re-skin of the same game with much prettier graphics and new characters.

Effectively it just delivers the same experience, and over the course of time these games sell less and less and less and less. I think you need to offer something that hasn't been done before. Like with Injustice, no one has done what we're doing with the game's backgrounds, and I think that's a big part of why it will appeal to fans.

Injustice: Gods Among Us is expected to arrive for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii U at an undetermined date in 2013. Thanks to C-Sword for providing links. If you think you've found news, send it our way with the submission form. Discuss all things Injustice and MKvsDC in the DC Universe Injustice forum.