Having already faced extensive reshoots, poor test screenings and multiple delays, Godzilla vs. Kong is under even more pressure to succeed at the box office when it finally arrives in May of next year. The latest entry in the MonsterVerse was already expected to deliver given that it unites two of the most iconic monsters in cinematic history, but the disappointing critical and commercial performance of Godzilla: King of the Monsters has also made it the franchise’s most important installment, one that could go a long way to determining if the series has a bright future.
Director Adam Wingard will be looking to pull out all of the stops, then, but Godzilla vs. Kong needs to strike a fine balance between massive scale action and telling a compelling story. Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla came under fire for holding off on the big reveal for too long and not featuring enough of the title character, while King of the Monsters doubled down on the Kaiju carnage but it was all just window dressing to cover up a completely forgettable and uninteresting narrative.
The very idea of Godzilla vs. Kong is predicated and marketed on fan service, and to that end, Mechagodzilla is widely expected to appear in the epic showdown, as shady government agency Monarch looks to create a Titan of their own. King of the Monsters‘ credits hinted that a ‘mechanized giant’ was being constructed on Skull Island, and a new theory claims that Kong will need to take down the artificial version of his new enemy before tackling Godzilla himself.
The plot will see Skull Island become the center of the Titans’ universe, and Monarch will no doubt be keen to eliminate them all in one fell swoop. Should they activate Mechagodzilla, Kong could then attempt to destroy it as swiftly as possible to protect the rest of the monsters.
Furthermore, this battle could also set up the rest of the film, as ScreenRant explains:
A battle between Mechagodzilla and Kong at the beginning of Godzilla vs. Kong could set up the rest of the movie, particularly the conflict that unfolds between the two main Titans. 1974’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla may provide a template for how the MonsterVerse will use Mechagodzilla in his first fight. In the movie, Mechagodzilla – disguised as the real Godzilla – made his grand entrance by beating Anguirus to a bloody pulp. The advanced technology that exists in the MonsterVerse could allow the humans to make a disguise for Mechagodzilla that’s just as convincing. If that’s the case, Kong may initiate a fight with Godzilla later in the movie because he thinks that he and Mechagodzilla are one and the same.
Alternatively, a battle with Mechagodzilla could simply put Kong on guard. Getting into a fight with him could put him in such a defensive and aggressive mood against invaders that when another Titan arrives on the scene, Kong’s first instinct would be fight. Mechagodzilla’s similarities with Godzilla may only worsen his attitude toward him.
Whether he succeeds or fails in their first battle, Godzilla will inevitably show up to feast on the scraps and cement his standing as the alpha, and we can’t wait to see it all play out on the big screen.
