"General" Shao = Steppenwolf from Injustice 3

[Shoah Kahn]

Boon said that they 'wanted' to make Injustice 3 -- which makes sense, given they normally stagger MK releases -- but, that it would have taken another "two years" to nut-out the new game engine... That, and almost certainly before WB dropped the ball on the Justice League 2 movie. Thus, they went with another MK instead.

Now, when you look at Shao's redesign, from stop to bottom it screams top to bottom:
- axe
- horns (eleven ears... not so much)
- mask on, he looks distinctly "metallic"
- seemingly some magical slant to his axe...

Verdict: "General" Shao in MK1 is a mix of said MK character and assets / ideas / the template for Steppenwolf from what would have been Injustice 3.

>prove me Wong
>pro tip: you Kahn't

[Rubercaine]

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EnkGucSXMAAXFcj?format=jpg&name=orig

[Shoah Kahn]

^ Literally! 😂

[popsicle]

This is the most interesting theory. That Steppenwolf was leftover Injustice char code now forced to become Shao kahn cause there are no Injustice game on the horizon.

[Cypris Melaenis]

Nice theory! Seems highly likely indeed.