Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire is the latest entry in the Monster-Verse, which has united these legendary movie characters once again. From the inception of Merriam Cooper’s classic giant ape to Toho Production’s iconic Godzilla, fans have dreamed of the day when Godzilla and Kong would share the screen. The sequel hits theaters three years after Godzilla Vs. Kong debuted in 2021 to massive box office success and strong critical reviews. Many have wondered how the franchise would continue, given that the film ends without many loose ends. Godzilla Vs Kong seemed like a conclusive finale to the Monsterverse.
Adam Wingard announced a sequel to Godzilla Vs Kong shortly after the film’s success in 2021, and announced that the then untitled sequel would be inspired by “Son of Kong.” In April 2023, a teaser trailer was title were officially revealed. And this past December, the title was announced as Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire at Brazil’s CCXP. A cohesive look at the film’s fresh characters and creatures has been shown and audiences, are already trying to guess from the trailer what the plot of the movie might entail.
What is the plot of Godzilla X Kong?
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire takes place immediately after the events of the last film. Godzilla Vs Kong saw the two fight each other, but eventually team up to take down a common enemy in the form of Mecha-Godzilla. By the end, Kong became ruler of the underground prehistoric civilization known as Hollow-Earth, while Godzilla was deemed the protector of Earth.
A lot of the hype surrounding the last film was built on pitting Godzilla against Kong, and how audiences would react to seeing them fight. Now, a new story and new characters are bound to be introduced. Dan Stevens, Alex Ferns, and Fala Chen have been cast in new roles, while Brian Tyree Henry, Kaylee Hottle, and Rebecca Hall will be returning to the cast. The film will explore the myths and secrets of the underground Hollow Earth, and explore new Titans and undiscovered threats that have been buried for centuries beneath the world.
Who will be the villain in Godzilla X Kong?
The trailer for Godzilla X Kong hints at new foes that Kong and Godzilla will likely face. The major threat visible in the trailer is “Scar King,” who also appears to be a giant ape like Kong. Because Scar King is an original creation, not much is known about his backstory or his past. He was created solely by Legendary Pictures for the upcoming Godzilla X Kong and has not been in any Universal, Warner Bros., or Toho Movies before.
The trailers for Godzilla X Kong show Scar King sitting on a throne in Hollow Earth, where he most likely hails from. In another shot, Scar King can be seen towering over beach-goers at a much greater height and size than Kong. While Scar King is clearly being positioned as the Main Villain of The New Empire, there is a chance that, like Godzilla Vs Kong before it, the trailers are keeping the action focused away from a major secret villain to build even more hype.
What characters could appear in Godzilla X Kong?
While we know several human characters will be returning in a smaller capacity, there are some rumors to dispel about the hidden ‘boss villain’ of Godzilla X Kong. Trailers and marketing materials for Adam Wingard’s 2021 epic monster mashup kept the focus on Godzilla taking on Kong, but purposefully kept audiences in the dark on the major big bad of the movie. It wasn’t until a few months before the movie’s release that images were revealed regarding the true enemy. One of these includes a brief end-of-trailer shot showing a close-up of Mecha-Godzilla’s eye.
A recent toy leak for the upcoming Godzilla movie seems to indicate that there will be another ‘villain’ in the film: a white ice-themed Godzilla with blue scales and an albino complexion called ‘Shimu.’ Unlike Toho’s Legendary Giant Lizard, Shimu seems to resemble a dragon, resting on all four legs where Godzilla primarily walks on his two feet, except when taking a dip in the sea. While Shimu has not been officially confirmed in any marketing materials or trailers, it is believed Legendary has edited him out of the trailer, which is a common practice in keeping big reveals secret.
When does Godzilla X Kong release?
Shimu has only appeared among toy leaks. A Scar King toy has been revealed, but carries less weight, since he’s featured in the trailer. One other hint at Shimu’s eventual appearance in Godzilla X Kong can be confirmed by a cave painting in a special edition of Call of Duty: War Zone. There is a game mode, Operation Monarch, which has players defending against two of the most well known Titans. Shimu hasn’t been confirmed to be the untitled Titan featured in the cave-paintings, but with the toy leak and the unconfirmed status of the mystery monster, all roads point in his direction.
All answers will be revealed next year, however, when Godzilla X Kong stomps into theaters.
Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire will be released April 19, 2024.
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