My theory;

Shinnok, Quan Chi and the netherrealm forces attack Outworld and Earthrealm killing millions and destroying nearly everything. With most of the Earthrealm fighters dead, Raiden contacts a different version of himself for help. Two things can happen here;

a) Raiden transports his sub conscious into a different version of himself from a different timeline or dimension. Raiden informs this timelines/dimensions Earthrealm fighters (bringing back the dead characters from MK9) about Shinnok's invasion and victory. He then trains them in order to be prepared. Shinnok tries his invasion again but looses. The world is saved and there is now a third timeline.

b) Raiden contacts his different self but they refuse to help. Raiden, in desperation, opens a portal to this different timeline/dimension and subsequently brings in different versions of each character (this explains the different variations of each character thing). With the combined might of the current and different timeline/dimension characters, Shinnok's invasion is stopped and the world is saved. The different timeline/dimension characters return to their own world and Raiden and the new Earthrealm fighters continue protecting Earthrealm. No new timeline.

I'm thinking b) out of the two. I could completely and utterly wrong, but speculation is half the fun.

I've been a proponent of the theory that the classic-era games weren't overwritten, but rather we're dealing with a branched timeline (with heavy retcons on some things like Mileena's birth). I'm hoping I'm right and this will lead to timeline bleedthrough.

I'm reminded of the fact that when DC did Crisis on Infinite Earths, they didn't do that to just tell a fun story about alternate dimensions meeting where everyone goes back home at the end and nothing is changed.

They did it 'cause their continuity was super-fucked up and they wanted to cherrypick the best versions of every character and put them in a new canon they could keep and use going forward.

So I hope we see timelines, or characters, combined permanently at the end.

I also have a feeling that there might be more than two timelines meeting. There were rumors a couple months ago that the game would tie into or reference Legacy. Now, that's probably not exactly true, but I could imagine them having a world that's SIMILAR to Legacy show up, given what Scorpion's costume looks like in the trailer.

CRISIS ON INFINITE PYRAMIDS

No wait, I fucked it up.



Perfect.

They gotta stop building so many damn pyramids, nothing but fugging death traps

I didn't actually think of that and I would really like it if some of the fighters stayed behind. Maybe some feel it's in their best interest to stay behind in the world where everything is fucked up in order to help. For example, Bi-Han (Sub-Zero version, if the alternate world/timeline/dimension is at a point before the events of MK1) could stay behind, and we could have the Sub brothers together on screen in their human forms for the first time. Of course, we'd have two Sub-Zero's so that's not the most ideal example, but it's an example nonetheless. It could also give people their favourite variations of their favourite characters. Human and Cyber Smoke could co-exist. Pre-Cyber armed Jax can interact with post-cyber arm Jax. Human Cyrax and Sektor can be around their Cyber versions. The possibilities are endless, and I agree that it would be a lot better than everyone saying their goodbyes and fucking off, never to be seen again.

You guys keep comparing it to DC but I think the answer is simpler and it follows what Marvel did with Xmen... They went to the past, got the original, and brought them to the future (now) to help..

That would give us past versions and new versions of the characters without making it extra convoluted from "multiverses"

You're forgetting that if "select a different version of your character" is a gameplay mechanic, like in Ultra SF4, or "Grooves" in Capcom vs SNK, then it has to exist for EVERY character in the game.

Which means we're not just talking about "Oh, Liu Kang and Sub-Zero visit from the past but everyone else is the same because Raiden needs more fighters and those two are dead" or "Cyber-Smoke and Zombie Liu show up from a future that has been changed but they're the only ones", we're talking about every single person on the roster meeting an alternate version of themselves, just like the primary and alternate costumes in Injustice.

So where does that leave new original characters?

Who wants to bet we're going to get a great big MacGuffin in the form of an "Amulet of time?"

So many amulets up in this franchise.

They'll just make something up, I imagine.
That's what you always have to do when making a new character anyway, reveal how they fit into history even though we've never seen or heard of them before. Unless they're only "new" in the sense of being playable for the first time, and were really an NPC or rumor in previous games like Skarlet or Kia/Jataaka or something.

And that's the question of the day, isn't it?

Get out of here, DeHann. You were the worst Goblin.

Aaaah RazorzEdge.. You make a good point.

I guess with the multiverses it will give us a chance to play with significantly different versions of each character... That being said when its all said and done I hope they don't retcon all the major story developments from the last game.. Like Smoke being human, Liu Kang Dying and things like that... they need to stick to their guns so there is actual development from game to game..

What, worse than this goofball?



Maybe I'd do a better job showing off what I could do with the role if I was given more than two fucking minutes of screentime.

As far as I'm concerned, Norman is THE Green Goblin, Harry can fuck off. And Raimi/Dafoe got both the origin story and personality spot-on perfect from the comics.

Plus as much as people made fun of the "power rangers" costume...in hindsight, it's a hell of a lot better than what Franco and DeHaan got. Green Goblin is SUPPOSED to be a guy who deliberately puts on a halloween-themed costume and admits "I'm a supervillain" and has fun with it, that's why his bombs look like Jack-O-Lanterns. He NEEDS a goofy mask.

That's mainly why I'm not wanting too many new characters. Definitely one of the things I'm nervous about right now.

So, I'm starting to assume that this is a time travel story. I kind of don't like this. Simply because I felt they should re-do the Shinnok era and then start from.scratch after that. Although if we cross timelines I imagine funny commentary from Sub-Zero and Smoke.

After being caught up on the new timeline.

Sub-Zero: Damn it! I got turned into a cyborg in this world. Everyone knows that's Smoke's role (eyes Smoke)

Smoke: Haha, how's it feel to be automated this time around buddy? In this timeline I got to be the human!

Sub-Zero: Oh yeah, well tell me this. How does it feel to know that you were human and I'm still more important than you!

Smoke: (Sadface)

Sub-Zero: That's what I thought!

Seriously though, are you guys happy that this may be a time travel storyline, or would you prefer to have a straight continuation of MK9?

Also, when Boon mentions two of his new favorite characters will be revealed at E3, do you think he is speaking of new characters or two characters that he revamped so well that they are new favorites?

@ Scar Subby, I have a strong feeling Shinnok will still have a huge role in the game, so don't worry.

Also, I personally think he was meaning original new characters. But it can be interpreted either way.

I wouldn't say "time" travel so much as dimension travel, or both even. I'm not sure if we should be expecting "past" versions of the characters because that implies we'll ONLY see the same ones we saw in MK9 come back, whereas stepping "sideways" into different versions of MK is more likely. The opportunity is even there for alternate FUTURE versions that wouldn't be possible in this universe because history went a different way but existed in the old one, like Grandmaster-in-Cryomancer-Armor Sub or Dark Raiden.

Either way, I'll be happy if it's true, because it means there's hope they might use this to fix the giant pile of plotholes and lore errors from MK9.

That and I really, REALLY want a playable purple robot Smoke again. Just one more fucking time. He looks SO god damned stupid as a gray ninja.

I can see them doing 6 characters, with 2 being completely new. With that being said, we'll probably find out how big the roster is next week which we can then begin the speculation.

The Don King hairstyle didn't help.

I didn't mind the sticking-straight-up hair from his Vs. Screen NEARLY as much as the girl-style fringe he has in gameplay.

See I'm hoping he meant revamped characters. There are just too many characters in their repertoire to start bringing in yet another shitload of characters. If he introduces 2 brand new characters at E3 there's no guarantee that he won't introduce a ton more. I do not want that. He has characters he can work with.

My personal hope for who he introduces next week. Havik and Li Mei (or Sareena that way we know she's in).

Who I think he will introduce:

Two new characters or Tanya and Fujin.

@Razor
Crossing timelines could be interesting. However, do you not think this gives them yet another opportunity to screw with Sub-Zero. I mean they could just completely murder Kuai Liang's original story by having him cross over and die in the new timeline. That's why I'd almost rather they not touch it. Yes, I have that little faith in them this time. MK9 turned me off really badly in regards to story, but I do want it to be fixed.