New Roster Additions Confirmed for Mortal Kombat 1: Homelander, Peacemaker, and Omni-Man Join the Battle

After many leaks and rumors, NetherRealm Studios has finally confirmed that Homelander and Peacemaker are coming to Mortal Kombat 1 as special guest characters. They’re joined by Omni-Man, the Image Comics hero created by Robert Kirkman, who also starred in Invincible, and returning Mortal Kombat characters Quan Chi, Ermac, Takeda, Li Mei, Tanya, and Baraka.

NetherRealm Studios revealed the new Mortal Kombat 1 roster additions during its San Diego Comic-Con panel, featuring several members of the development team along with series director Ed Boone.

Homelander and the pacemaker are ready for action

Homelander and Peacemaker are two of the most notable additions to Mortal Kombat 1’s roster. They are part of a well-established tradition of guest characters that previously included the Xenomorph, Predator, and other characters. Amazon’s listing revealed a few months ago that the Homelander characters would join Quan Chi, Omni-Man, Takeda, and Ermac in the first Kombat Pack DLC, but this is the first time it’s actually been revealed.

Homelander has found fame as the main antagonist of the boys, and with Gen V now getting a full release date, he’s been appearing in more games lately. His other appearances include a cameo in Call of Duty, where his heat vision proves to be very powerful. Peacemaker, played by John Cena in the series written by James Gunn, has also proven popular since its well-received 2022 spin-off. NetherRealm’s parent company Discovery has revealed that Homelander won’t be available as a playable character until Spring 2024.

Omni-Man isn’t as well known as Homelander and Peacemaker, but it will be familiar to comics fans. Played by JK Simmons on Invincible, his reveal coincides with the imminent release of that show’s second season.

Outside of six new playable characters, the first fighting pack will also include Jean-Claude Van Damme’s skin for Johnny Cage, as well as five new fighters: Cow, Johnny Cage, Chameleon, Mabado, and Tremor.

Lee Mi returns with Tanya and Baraka

In addition to her own DLC characters, NetherRealm Studios has also confirmed that Lee Mei will be joining the cast of Mortal Kombat 1. Previously played by Tara Strong, Lee Mei recently appeared as an NPC in Mortal Kombat X. Her addition is part of a broader effort to redefine the origins of familiar Mortal Kombat characters.

Elsewhere, Tanya and Barka will also be playable. All three appear to be listed rather than appearing as cameos – a somewhat controversial system that has turned several fan-favorite characters into unplayable passes. Baraka is a particularly well-known character with roots dating back to Mortal Kombat II.

Mortal Kombat 1 was announced in May during a Warner Bros. earnings call. Discovery. A sequel to 2019’s Mortal Kombat 11, the next big installment in the franchise, serves as a reboot of the series and “will introduce the reborn world of Mortal Kombat.”

Mortal Kombat 1 will arrive on September 19th for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. For more information on Mortal Kombat 1, check out our interview with series creator Ed Boone on why NetherRealm chose to develop Mortal Kombat 1 over Injustice 3.

Find all the rest of our San Diego Comic Con coverage here.

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director and co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Do you have a tip? DM her at the_katbot.