SG Choice: Who We Want for a Warner Bros. Smash Clone

Recently, a rumor broke of an upcoming crossover platform fighter, one inspired by the success of Super Smash Bros. Last go-around, it was Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl, a game that combines high level, competitive friendly Smash gameplay with an absolute dearth of literally anything else (bastards did Toph dirty, I say). This time, it’s apparently Warner Bros.’ turn at bat with a game supposedly titled “Multiversus.” While the game hasn’t been officially announced and may potentially be canceled before that happens – stranger things have happened – and we do try to take each leak with a grain of salt, the evidence of its existence is fairly strong.

Unlike All-Star Brawl, though, this game won’t be restricting itself to the corporation’s stellar animation department. Instead, it’s going to involve Warner’s broader corporate holdings, from Cartoon Network classics like Steven Universe to DC Comics to blockbusters like Lord of the Rings and Mad Max. That’s a direction not dissimilar from the Warner Bros. crossover “Serververse” from this year’s atrocious Space Jam: A New Legacy (whose version of LeBron James might also be in discussion for DLC? The hell?), but hopefully action / platformer / fighting game fun can alleviate that.

The possibilities with this are, if not endless, at least extremely fun to conceptualize. You have Detective Comics (whose characters could potentially be far afield of Injustice, the already existing and very edgy DC fighting game), the company’s animation holdings – Cartoon Network and Adult Swim and Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera – big commercial properties like Dune and Harry Potter, Warner Bros.’ fairly incredible early years of Thirties through Fifties dramas, and HBO. We could pit Tony Soprano against the Powerpuff Girls! We probably won’t, but we can state that as a distinct possibility.

Here’s a series of lists we made of potential characters we’d like to see. Each of us gets no more than twelve choices – the fault of myself and Voyager being way too into this. We’ll give you no more than two sentences to describe each one, to get an idea of their appeal (and, if we’d like, some other thoughts). So… here we go. Collages by me, Wolfman.

The Monarch (with Dr. Mrs. The Monarch as an alternate costume), The Venture Bros. If you don’t add him, you’ll abandon him. YOU’LL ABANDON HIS HATRED!!!!!!!!!!
Pearl, Steven Universe. Now comes in three costumes: Classic Pearl, Mom Jeans Pearl, and Tuxedo Pearl! Deftly wield spears, fight to musical numbers, and overcome emotionally crippling PTSD in each lighthearted match!
Lester Freamon, The Wire. Collect evidence, set up stings, and follow the money to entrap your opponents! But be careful, because if you’re K.O.’d, it’s back to the Pawnshop unit for thirteen years (and four months)!
Crazy Jane, Doom Patrol (HBO Max). What better way to distinguish this game’s DC characters from the ones in Injustice than to pick one that crossover would never have the gumption to choose? Enjoy, courtesy of an expert performance by Diane Guerrero, sixty-four superpowered personalities – that’s sixty-four more than Batman has!
Gabriel, Malignant. He’d be the most dangerous character from any platform fighter: the one who can crawl on the walls, ceilings, and even the edge of the screen! And since he’s voiced by the guy who plays Roy, this Smash Bros. ripoff would get a bona fide Smash Bros. actor!
Youngblood Priest, Superfly. When he joins the fight, all other background music is replaced with Curtis Mayfield’s iconic theme! And if you lose, don’t ask no questions why.
Pennywise, It. …Because honestly, he really should’ve been in Mortal Kombat 11 way more than f***ing Rambo.
Marceline the Vampire Queen, Adventure Time. In a wonderful innovation, every move of Marcy’s can be performed in real time by a plugged in guitar! And if you swing the base as well as her, you’re liable to knock out the player next to you and win by default!
Daffy Duck, Looney Tunes. Another character who should’ve been in Mortal Kombat 11 before Rambo.
The Martian Manhunter, DC Animated Universe. Originally, this spot was for the bad guy from Strangers on a Train, and then I remembered my favorite superhero after Superman. Shapeshifter, fighting game… whaddya need, a road map?
Seth Bullock, Deadwood. Avoid getting grabbed, as his back throw pulls you across the stage by the ear without a second thought!. And if he uses it in the Gem Saloon stage, you’ll get to hear a unique expletive-filled monologue courtesy of Al Swearangen!
John Thackery, The Knick. Get tremendous stat buffs by shooting cocaine up his penis! And recoil when he performs self-surgery for his super move!

Flippancy aside, I do sincerely, deeply want all these characters to be added. It’s just easier for me to make jokes out of it, because the prospect of Multiversus is so delightfully silly. I’d like to see a lot of Cartoon Network representation because Warner’s got the best animation division in the hemisphere. I’d like to see a lot of HBO because the network’s responsible for a glut of some of the best television in the medium’s history (and because seeing The Wire or Watchmen characters in this would be deeply weird in a satisfying way). And it’d be nice to have depictions of DC characters that are a bit more joyful. Am I optimistic about the game? …Not really. Warner’s got an iffy reputation for its gaming division, and as Nickelodeon All-Star has proved, ripping off Smash demands a lot more than just mechanics or nostalgia. But I’d like it to be good, and picks like these would honestly help in their own way.

T-800, The Terminator. Armed to the core and ready to destroy anyone in his path. No matter what you try to do against him, it will relentlessly come back.
Rick Blaine, Casablanca. Heavy Drinking, Chain Smoking. They don’t make them like they used to.
Gizmo, Gremlins. A cute little fellow with more tricks than some might think. Just don’t make him grab food items after midnight.
Atreyu, The Neverending Story. While Bastian was the main character of this classic adaptation, Atreyu is the most equipped warrior of Fantastica.
Simon Phoenix, Demolition Man. Too many “goody two shoes” over here, so what’s better than a fun loving criminal let loose in a stuck up future?
Dolores Abernathy, Westworld. A revolutionary with a heart of steel, driven to seek revenge by the sins of the makers.
Spy. Spy vs Spy. Either Black or White, They would have enough tricks to leave any stage as a landmine field.
Johnny Quest, Johnny Quest. The original young adventuring hero. Not to be confused with Johnny Test.
Freakazoid, Freakazoid!. Fast and whacky to an unbelievable degree, Would have fit really well in Injustice… just think about it.
Sara Connor, The Terminator. The only person in the whole world to be hard enough to require multiple killer robots traveling back in time in order to kill her, they will never succeed.
Fleegle, The Banana Splits movie. Yeah, the one where they are killer animatronics.
Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice.

Audrey II, Little Shop of Horrors (1986)
Tony Soprano, The Sopranos
Tommy Devito, Goodfellas
Napoleon Solo, The Man from UNCLE (2015)
Illya Kuryakin, The Man from UNCLE (2015)
Jack Torrance, The Shining
Superman (Christopher Reeve), Superman (1978)
Sweeney Todd, Sweeney Todd
Harry Callahan, Dirty Harry
THX 1138, THX 1138
Sgt. Neil Howie, The Wicker Man
Dirk McQuickly, The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash

Scorpion, Mortal Kombat. One of my all-time most wanted Smash fighters and undoubtedly Warner Bros’ greatest gaming mascot, the Specter of the Netherrealm is a glaring omission from the currently leaked roster. No way is the owner of one of the most iconic moves in any fighting game (“Get over here!”) not crossover material; he needs to settle the score with Shaggy, after all.
Sub-Zero, Mortal Kombat. Although I prefer his yellow-clad rival, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster is a fantastic candidate in his own right. Matching Scorpion’s Spear and brutality with a more reserved fighting style revolving around cryomancy, I would love to see either of these two represent their franchise’s vast history in this ridiculous crossover.
Samurai Jack, Samurai Jack. Cartoon Network’s lineup features more than a few characters that would feel right at home in a decent platform fighter, but I don’t think any of them would fit a Warner Bros brawl better than Jack. Overflowing with moveset potential featuring his magic sword, “good” jumping ability, and even an armory’s worth of weapons from Adult Swim’s season of his show, CN’s additions to the roster would simply feel incomplete without the Foolish Samurai Warrior.
Courage, Courage the Cowardly Dog. Plenty of Cartoon Network shows gain more appreciation as its viewers age, but none have terrified and subsequently fascinated fans more than Courage. Made famous for its cast of characters both endearing and excessively villainous, the pink doggy would bring so much madness to the crossover with his over-the-top monster impressions and endless variety of items he can pull out of hammer space.
Mung Daal, Chowder. Quite possibly the greatest chef in all of Marzipan City and cooking master to the cartoon’s titular cryptid, Mung’s dignified stature and distinguished career would betray one of the most colorful and nonsensical kits yet. Equipped with a buffet of wild dishes, massive armaments like the Spoon of Power and Fork of Power, and his home property’s signature fourth wall breaks, the game would peak with this addition.
Mordecai & Rigby, Regular Show. My bias toward my favorite Cartoon Network shows was inevitable for a topic like this, the lazy groundskeepers being next in this growing lineup. Probably working best as a duo fighter (think Banjo & Kazooie, but with the bird and mammal’s roles swapped), these two could get a lot of mileage out of their Death Kwon Do martial arts and laundry list of park tools they would probably abandon as soon as they could.
Bloo, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. Possibly the most unpleasant main character of any classic Cartoon Network property, Blooregard Q. Kazoo is an immature, annoying, narcissistic resident of the titular foster home. But regardless, his home series is beloved by many and no imaginary friend could force the others to do the moveset’s heavy lifting quite like he could (thus, his reluctant friends Mac, Wilt, Eduardo, Coco, among others could play significant roles in the kit).
Ice Bear, We Bare Bears. The trio of bears that star in the 2010s animated sitcom might be best as a three-in-one fighter, but the enigmatic polar bear would be the clear winner for me if only one could join this crossover. Raised to be a survivor in a frozen tundra and an avid user of axes, ninja stars, and a deadly roomba drone he might just love more than his brothers Grizzly and Panda, this representative of my favorite of Cartoon Network’s offerings that debuted in the past decade absolutely has what it takes to contend with WB’s star-studded roster.
Morty, Rick and Morty. His grandfather’s already a lock for the game, but Morty’s name isn’t half of the show’s title for nothing. A solid moveset could easily be made for him using his repressed anger and whatever gadgets Rick forgot to bring, but one unlikely cosmetic detail I’d love to see is a different universe’s version of Morty respawning whenever the one you’re playing as is knocked out (implying the defeated one is gone for good and a replacement was quickly brought in).
Professor Lupin, Harry Potter. It wouldn’t feel right bringing up this franchise without addressing its obnoxious author, but if a member of this world of wizards were to join the battle, my vote goes to the protagonist’s third in a long line of Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers. Give Moony his signature werewolf transformation, as well as creative spells like Riddikulus and the iconic Patronus Charm (which he introduced to the series), and he could definitely end up a fun combatant despite his home brand’s rapidly declining reputation.
Night King, Game of Thrones. The overlord and original member of the White Walkers, this dreaded figure is known for having raised an army of the undead, brought about the Long Night, and felled one of the saga’s three dragons before claiming it for himself. He ultimately falls himself near the end of one of the most infamous seasons of television in years, but remains a memorable villain with more than enough moveset potential to earn a spot here (necromancy, cryokinesis, his zombie dragon).
Smaug, The Hobbit. This one probably should not happen, but I want to see the developers give it a shot and this game is gonna need a Ridley equivalent at some point. Easily the most exciting and marketable aspect of the divisive film trilogy he loomed over, Smaug the Golden/Impenetrable/Terrible should be nothing less than a pure, playable dragon (massive, slow, exploitable, but extremely powerful and hard to kill).

Sheldon Cooper The Big Bang Theory. I just want to be able to follow-up any of my KO’s with a press of the ‘bazinga’ button. I don’t think this is too much to ask for.
Duck Dodger Looney Tunes. I imagine Daffy Duck is going to be a popular request after Bug Bunny but Duck Dodgers would be so much more interesting to me.
Billy & Mandy The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy. This was my favourite Cartoon Network show and Ithink they could work well as a pair, maybe even a trio if Grim is included.
Austin Powers Austin Powers. James Bond wasn’t able to get into Super Smash Bros. and he won’t be here either, so how about the next best thing. Oh yeah baby, let’s make it happen!
Will Smith The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. An icon of sitcom television, if this is what it takes to get the fresh prince in a video game then lets make it happen.
The FRIENDS F.R.I.E.N.D.S. All 6 of them as one fighter. Friends need to back each other up and you can’t just have one right? They tried that with Joey and it was bad. So let’s get them all in here.
Arthur Arthur. The show may have just ended but his fight is only just beginning. All that built up rage inside Arthur over the years needs to come out again and this could be the place to do it.
Alan Garner The Hangover. Everyone likes The Hangover right? A classic of stupid comedy and getting into a fight with a bunch of famous TV and movie stars sounds exactly like the kind of thing that would happen after a few too many drinks.
ALF ALF. He’s had video games, he’s had a talk show and now this alien is ready to come out of retirement and kick butt in the world of Multiversus.
Fred Flintstone The Flintstones. This one is a given right? When he makes it in, I hope he has a Grand Dad costume.
Jack Spicer Xiaolin Showdown. So we can all agree that Jack Spicer was the best character from this show right? And also that the final series never happened? We can just say that the show continued here in the multiverse.
Powerpuff Girls Z Powerpuff Girls. Why have the boring regular PPG when we could have their cooller anime versions instead? Really, I just want to see them come back in something.

Also as an honorable mention, I hope we get stages based on Free Willy and The Neverending Story. I need to be able to free Willy during the fight and also battle on the back of Falkor.

Hey, it’s Wolfman again. So we’ve clearly had a lot of ideas here, but we’re talking about a horrifically bloated tentpole of the entertainment industry. Surely there are properties or characters you’d like to see spout from the Warner Bros. water tower (like, say, the Warner Bros. and sister of Animaniacs). Add them in the comments!