Besides the occasional tease from Ed Boon,Injusticefans have been left in the dark regarding the series' highly anticipated third entry.Injustice 2’s success could certainly warrant a sequel, butInjustice 3has yet to be officially announced. This has led to rampant speculation regarding potential characters, mechanics, and storylines.
The narrative of the first twoInjusticegames was a major selling point for DC fans. Before the market was saturated with evil Superman clones like Omniman andHomelander,Injustice: Gods Among Usrevolved around an alternate universe where the actual Superman took an authoritarian turn.Injustice 2continued the story, but a key decision in the game’s final battle allowed players to dictate how the story would end. While one ofInjustice 2’s endings presents an easy starting point for the next game, NetherRealm would be better off exploring an alternative route.
The Case for Injustice 2’s Evil Ending
Injustice 2’s story mode forces Batman and Superman to team up despite ideological differences to save the world from Braniac’s invasion. However, upondefeating Brainiac, the two heroes' philosophies once again clash. Batman believes that Brainiac is key to freeing the cities captured during the invasion and therefore needs to be kept alive. Superman, on the other hand, wants to kill Brainiac to not only remove him as a potential threat but gain control of his ship. This destroys the temporary truce, and the player is then asked which hero they want to side with.
Both Endings Explained
If the player chooses to play as Batman, the caped crusader manages to beat Superman in a fight. Batman strips Superman of his powers usinggold Kryptoniteand banishes him to the Phantom Zone. As Batman continues to research Brainiac’s technology, he reforms the Justice League with Supergirl to both chart a better way forward and prepare for Superman’s potential return.
If the player chooses to play as Superman, the man of steel defeats Batman and kills Brainiac. After a time skip, it’s shown that Superman’s regime has once again taken over the planet. Superman has used Brainiac’s technology to turn Batman into an obedient drone, and he plans to do the same to the now imprisoned Supergirl if she refuses to join his ranks.
The Lackluster Nature of Injustice 2’s Good Ending
If NetherRealm moves forward withInjustice 3, it seems likely that it will pick up afterInjustice 2’s good ending. The good ending reestablishes the status quo, offering up an off-ramp to either move away from Superman’s story or do a soft reboot for the series. While understandable given the years sinceInjustice 2’s release and a growing fatigue with theevil Superman trope, this route feels incredibly safe.
The Draw of a Darker Injustice 3
Should NetherRealm build upon the ongoing continuity inInjustice 3,Injustice 2’s evil ending presents a far more interesting way forward. Having an evil ending in the game was already a surprise for many players, but using that as the jumping off point forInjustice 3would grab players' attention much more than a reboot or a game that once again picks up with Superman in prison and Batman attempting to pick up the pieces of the last game’s plot.
Sure, this would be yet another evil Superman story, but this time he would be joined by an evil, brainwashed Batman. This would not only bolster the intrigue of the game’s antagonists — and allow Warner Bros. to make up forSuicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s unpopular story— but it would force NetherRealm to move away from having Batman as the primary protagonist in these games. A story focusing on heroes like Supergirl who aren’t part of DC’s big three as they attempt to scrap together a resistance against Superman and Batman would make for anInjusticegame that is darker, more distinct, and much less predictable.
Injustice 2
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.
