On August 21 NetherRealm Studios confirmed that the infamous Batman villain Joker would be coming to Mortal Kombat 11 as a DLC character. NetherRealm's version of the Joker was met with some disdain over its plain appearance at first, but that's nothing compared to its latest comparison. Twitter user Travis Shaw's now-viral tweet captured that Mortal Kombat 11's Joker bears an uncomfortable resemblance to a parody version of the Joker, pornography parody version to be specific.
It's the Joker's face that specifically bears a striking resemblance between the two. While both versions of the character stem from a modern version of the Joker, sporting a necktie and no mouth scars, they're otherwise dissimilar. Both Jokers have different hair and different suits, but the Mortal Kombat 11 Joker's face alone is enough to cause someone to do a double-take.
As for the pornography parody version of the Joker, a reverse image search confirms the veracity of that claim. The image can be sourced to a promo image for a video titled Katwoman XXX. The role of Joker is referred to as "Gangster" and the actor's name is Dale DaBone. It's otherwise just one of many, many Joker photos online.
It's still ridiculous to insinuate that NetherRealm Studios might have used this porn parody Joker as a source photo in Mortal Kombat 11. The similarities between the two can absolutely be attributed to coincidence. After all, there is any number of Joker cosplays posted online, so there's bound to be at least one similar to the Joker releasing Mortal Kombat 11.
The comparison, if anything, adds to Mortal Kombat 11 criticism arguing that the DLC Joker being added to the game is perhaps too generic. Rather than being based on of the iconic version of the Joker from DC Comics' past, like Killing Joke Joker, Batman The Animated Series Joker, Heath Ledger Joker, or even the new Joker film's titular character, NetherRealm chose what's often referred to as cosplay Joker.
Mortal Kombat 11 is available now on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. The Joker DLC releases January 28, 2020.