The Explosive Return of Mortal Kombat 1: Inside Ronda Rousey's Controversial Comeback

Highlights

Fans are debating the performances of Ronda Rousey and Megan Fox in Mortal Kombat 1, with both being criticized for lackluster acting.

Rousey's portrayal of Sonya Blade was considered to have more emotion, while Fox's delivery as Nitara was criticized for being flat. The ongoing controversy surrounding celebrity casting in video games sparks debates on whether professional voice actors are a superior option.

Fans are once again debating Ronda Rousey's portrayal of Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat 11, following Megan Fox's controversial performance as Nitara in the first Mortal Kombat game. The decision to cast Megan Fox as the vampire warrior Nitara was met with skepticism before the game's launch, and her performance did not win over many critics. Fox's portrayal was criticized for being dull and lacking emotion, with some fans expressing a preference for Cristina Valenzuela, the backup actress for Nitara, to have played the role full-time.

Megan Fox's divisive take on Nitara is not the first time a major celebrity has been cast in a Mortal Kombat game, nor is it the first time the casting has been met with a negative response from passionate fans. One example of this is Ronda Rousey, a renowned MMA fighter and WWE superstar, who was cast as Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat 11. While Rousey showed enthusiasm for her role outside of the game, fans found her performance to be lackluster and uninspiring, even drawing comparisons to the infamous "Jill Sandwich" line readings from the original Resident Evil game.

Ronda Rousey's performance as Sonya Blade in Mortal Kombat has re-emerged in online discussions due to Megan Fox's similar portrayal in Mortal Kombat 1. Fans are debating which one is worse. A Reddit user named TrappedInLimbo recently argued on r/MortalKombat that Rousey's acting was just as wooden as Fox's, providing a montage of Sonya's character introductions in Mortal Kombat 11 as evidence. Many users agreed with this perspective, noting that they had overlooked how flat and monotone Rousey's performance was in the game. However, some defended Rousey by highlighting her lack of acting experience compared to Megan Fox.

Others contended that although Ronda Rousey's performance in Mortal Kombat 11 was far from ideal, she was able to convey emotions when facing characters like Scorpion, Shao Kahn, Baraka, and Kabal. On the other hand, Megan Fox's portrayal of Nitara in Mortal Kombat 1 seemed as though she was merely reciting lines from a script. Fox's critics pointed out that unlike Rousey, she cannot use the excuse of not being a professional actor.

The casting of Megan Fox as Nitara in Mortal Kombat 1 has sparked controversy and reignited the discussion about whether it is preferable to hire renowned celebrities or professional voice actors for video games. While some performances, such as Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa's portrayal of Shang Tsung in Mortal Kombat 11, are well-received, others, like Ronda Rousey and Megan Fox, have divided the fanbase. The ongoing debates about who delivered a weaker performance are likely to continue until the next A-list star joins the Mortal Kombat franchise.

Mortal Kombat 1 is currently available for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.

Source: The Gamer