Exclusive: Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard teases updating an iconic monster in the highly-anticipated MonsterVerse blockbuster.
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Godzilla vs. Kong
Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard teases updating an iconic monster for the MonsterVerse blockbuster. The long-awaited showdown of Titans is officially one week away from its United States release. Early reactions praise the film for spectacular action, so those wanting an actual slugfest shouldn't leave disappointed.
It's always interesting to see how Hollywood adapts franchises, whether from comics, novels, or media from foreign territories. On the subject of Godzilla, it's fair to say the West blundered in their attempt to bring the iconic reptile to the big screen in 1998. However, without it, it's very possible Legendary wouldn't have acquired the rights for a new take. Godzilla (2014) gave the King of the Monsters the reverence he deserved. The design was distinctive from his Japanese counterparts but retained everything that makes the creature's look iconic. Godzilla: King of the Monsters revamped Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah with great respect. It appears Hollywood has been on a roll when it comes to adapting monsters. It will be great seeing what's new in Godzilla vs. Kong.
In our interview with Adam Wingard, we asked the Godzilla vs. Kong director if there was any creature he wanted to use that didn't fit into the film. Wingard responded:
"I would say this movie actually, without spoiling anything, gave me the benefit of being just given up to me, and I was able to decide any monster, this monster would have been in it. So, I felt very fortunate because the movie just synched up with what I would have wanted to do anyways
The other monsterverse directors got to re-establish what Godzilla looked like in 2014, and then [Michael Dougherty] obviously got to do a lot of the villains, so he got to play with that. Jordan, with Kong: Skull Island, got to do his version of Kong.
For me, it was about updating those characters, but not necessarily coming up with my own fresh take on it. But I did get to do that on the monster which will be unnamed for now. That was a real thrill for me, because it's just so cool to be able to put your fingerprint on something that's so iconic, and be able to update it for a new audience."
Although Wingard doesn't state it here, it seems clear he's talking about Mechagodzilla. The character's inclusion has been long spoiled thanks to a Playmates toy leak. Funko also confirmed Mechagodzilla is part of its upcoming Pop lineup. Wingard himself recently confirmed Mechagodzilla in an Instagram post. So, while not technically confirmed the character is the subject of the director's response, it's more than likely.
The latest Godzilla vs. Kong trailer revealed Mechagodzilla at the end, so his appearance is genuinely no longer a surprise. It will be fun seeing how Wingard has updated the character. Mechagodzilla's design is quite distinctive from his Japanese counterparts. In the original Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, the character was built to serve an evil alien race. The 90s version was created by the United Nations and had no autonomy. Instead, people piloted it from inside. The 2000s version was built over the bones of the original Godzilla. This led to an intriguing plot point of Mechagodzilla turning against his human creators after hearing the current Godzilla's roar. Every Mechagodzilla has made its stamp on the mythos, and it will be no different when Legendary's version of the character arrives on the big screen.
