The big villain tease for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire sets up several more shocking reveals about the MonsterVerse’s history. Though Legendary has avoided confirming the identity of the movie’s main villain, the monster in question is strongly implied to be the creature seen in the Godzilla vs. Kong 2 teaser trailer. By all indications, the next Titan to menace the MonsterVerse is a member of Kong’s species.
As the Godzilla x. Kong: The New Empire synopsis confirms, the two titular alphas will be forced to contend against a “world-ending threat.” The teaser trailer creates the impression that this new ape Titan will be the one who brings conflict to the surface and wages war on Godzilla and Kong. While a name has not been given to the Titan nor does he have an obvious connection to any existing creature, his debut carries with it a multitude of important implications. In fact, the addition of this Titan to the MonsterVerse library – whether he’s Godzilla vs. Kong 2’s real villain or not – sets the stage for a handful of major twists.
6 Kong Isn’t The Last Of His Species
The ape Titan in the trailer seemingly debunks a long-held assumption about Kong’s species. It’s been understood since Kong: Skull Island that Kong is the last member of his species. By diving into the idea that Hollow Earth is the original home of his kind, Godzilla vs. Kong instilled hope in Kong that he’d find other survivors, but the silence that followed his call suggested otherwise. However, it’s important to note that the Hollow Earth is a massive place. No additional Kongs appearing in Godzilla vs. Kong’s ending isn’t proof that his species is extinct. Now, the MonsterVerse has indicated that there really are others out there.
From the looks of things, there’s at least two living Kongs in the MonsterVerse. If one stayed behind and didn’t make the move to Skull Island with Kong’s ancestors, the door is open for the MonsterVerse to introduce even more of these creatures. Having more apes in the Hollow Earth would allow for the preservation of Kong’s species beyond the movie, and perhaps create the opportunity for him to start a family in the future.
5 The Titan War Had A Secret Villain
The existence of this creature points to the Titan War having a secret villain. Since the synopsis has proven that the war will be part of the story, there’s a good chance that he’ll fit into the movie’s exploration of the events that went on during the fighting. And due to him being positioned for an antagonist role, it stands to reason his debut will answer some of the questions about why Godzilla and Kong’s ancestors were at each other’s throats. It looks like he may have been the cause of it all, thus giving Godzilla and Kong a common enemy.
4 Kong Isn’t The Hollow Earth Alpha
As Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard has previously stated, Kong sitting on the throne in the movie was a symbolic move that completed his transformation into King Kong. That signaled that Kong has taken his place as the alpha of the Hollow Earth. After that, it was speculated that because of the abundance of Titans in the MonsterVerse, Kong was not the true alpha, as there was probably someone else who already held that title. The teaser trailer supports this notion by showing another ape Titan sitting on a throne. It would seem that in the timeframe of Godzilla vs Kong 2, the new villain is the actual Hollow Earth alpha.
This being the case would provide a framework for Kong’s next MonsterVerse arc. If he’s not the alpha, that would mean that his journey in Godzilla vs. Kong 2 will likely be about him taking that mantle for himself and proving to all the other monsters in the Hollow Earth that he – and not this other ape – is the apex predator of the region. A victory at the end of the movie can cement Kong’s status as the king of the Hollow Earth.
3 The Kongs Can Use Godzilla’s Power (Without The Axe)
The villain in the teaser trailer sports an unusual physical trait: glowing blue eyes. Obviously, this is an unnatural characteristic, hence why it most assuredly has an in-universe explanation. The color connects it to the Hollow Earth energy source, the same power that flows through Godzilla’s veins. Godzilla vs. Kong confirms that Kongs can use this energy for themselves by harnessing it with their axes, but the ape’s eyes are a sign that he absorbed it into his own body somehow. How he could have pulled this off is unclear, but the idea that he possesses Godzilla’s power would be a game-changing development.
Not only would this mean that Kong should be able to gain a power-up from Godzilla’s energy as well, but it also helps explain why this new Titan would be worthy of being the sequel’s main antagonist. Since Godzilla already beat Kong, it would be hard to imagine any member of his species challenging both of them physically without some sort of secret weapon. Having Godzilla’s power could be what gives him an edge against them.
2 The Downfall Of The Kongs Is Their Own Fault
The introduction of a villainous Kong who likely participated in the Titan War takes away from the tragic undertones of Kong’s backstory. Given Kong’s benevolent nature, it was easy to believe that the Kongs were victims in a way. Presumably, the Kongs had been forced out of the Hollow Earth by the Godzillas and forced to flee to Skull Island, where they were driven to near-extinction by the Skullcrawlers. Adding an evil Kong to the mix alters this perspective and sets up the reveal that the downfall of the Kongs was their own doing. If their leader was evil, following him may be the real reason why their species declined.
1 The Titan War Involved Other Monsters
The Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire provides further evidence for the idea that the Titan War wasn’t just a conflict fought between two monster species. For the most part, it’s been characterized as a war between the Godzillas and the Kongs, but it may have been a fight on a much grander scale. Some of the bones in the chamber next to the ape villain don’t belong to either Godzilla or Kong, with one in particular even resembling Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ Methuselah.
This detail goes hand-in-hand with the murals from Godzilla vs. Kong’s opening credits, which depicted Mothra and the Skullcrawlers taking part in the fighting. This makes the Titan War look even more like an all-out monster brawl, with multiple Titan species potentially serving on each side. Going in this direction would open the door for some of these Titans’ descendants to get involved in a modern-day continuation of the Titan War in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.