Who is the villain of ‘Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire?’

The MonsterVerse is back, baby! Fresh from the pandemic-era smash Godzilla vs Kong, Adam Wingard will return with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire next year. Legendary has just released a teaser trailer for the movie, showing an ominous figure gazing over a pile of bones. As we zoom out, we see the skulls of what appear to be Godzilla and Kong.

Wingard is also teaming up with his longtime collaborator Dan Stevens, best known for Downton Abbey and FX’s excellent Legion. The pair knocked it out of the park with cult classic The Guest back in 2014, so we can’t wait to see Stevens bring his nervy energy to the MonsterVerse line-up.

Let’s face it though, nobody turns up to a MonsterVerse movie hyped to see the human characters. We’re here for the Titans, so tongues are wagging over the mysterious new character glimpsed in the teaser that’s clearly not on the side of the angels.

So, who is this imposing and evil-looking ape, and what has he done to everyone’s favorite city-smashing kaiju?

What we know

First up, it’s clear that this villain is some kind of ape. Though he (or she) is shrouded in darkness, we can clearly see a lanky frame that’s more reminiscent of a gibbon or chimp than the gorilla-like Kong. The second factor is that its eyes light up with a glowing blue in a way reminiscent of Godzilla’s atomic powers, so perhaps we’re seeing a creature that combines the radioactive abilities of Godzilla with the raw power of Kong. Thirdly, the closeup later in the teaser shows that this creature has red hair.

It also seems safe to assume that this character, like Kong, also originates from the Hollow Earth. That he’s using a throne indicates a high level of intelligence, so he likely plans some plans for the surface world (maybe.. an Empire?!). Given how these movies usually play out, we suspect we’ll see an early brawl between Godzilla and Kong, before the pair are forced to form an uneasy alliance to take this sinister giant ape down.

There may also be some kind of familial connection to Kong. Perhaps he’s not a separate species, but his lanky look is a result of him being exceptionally long-lived. That may mean he has to fight with cunning and intelligence rather than brute force, making him a tricky opponent for the scaly/furry duo. Could he even be… Kong’s long-lost grandfather? We wouldn’t be surprised.

The fan theories

As you’d expect, many theories from MonsterVerse veterans have quickly sprung up, with these fans having an intricate knowledge of the surprisingly complex lore that stretches way beyond the movies. Some think this beast consumes other Titans and gains their powers:

Could he be some kind of ancient Mega Ape?

Fans have also spotted that he’s already racked up some major kills:

Is this villain the source of the Godzilla/Kong beef?

When will we know for sure?

Though Legendary Pictures have gotten the Godzilla x Kong hype machine out of the blocks, we may not get any actual answers for some time yet. The shoot wrapped back in November 2022, but as you’d expect, a movie about colossal monsters tearing their way through cities needs a huge amount of post-production and VFX work.

Right now, Godzilla x Kong is scheduled to hit theaters in just under a year from now on Mar. 15 2025. It’s worth noting that Godzilla vs. Kong was repeatedly delayed and reworked, so we wouldn’t be enormously shocked if this eventually missed that date and arrived later in 2025.

However, if it does indeed stick to March 2025, we can expect a full trailer sometime around the second half of 2025. Prior to that, there will no doubt be some merch leaks that’ll fill in some blanks along the way.

However it pans out, we can’t wait to see the beloved giant lizard and angry gorilla back on the big screen where they belong. And if they’re teaming up to smash in the snotbox of an evil superintelligent radioactive cannibal chimp? Just hook it to our veins.