The brand new trailer for Warner Bros.’ Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire caused quite the storm with its awesome new footage and subtle teases. However, it got us thinking about the new monsters and MUTOs appearing. In films such as King of the Monsters, we’ve always had the benefit, as Godzilla fans, of knowing who the characters are. Fans would have known the significance of King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, and even the narrative implications of Mothra since she always comes to Godzilla’s aid. For this new installment… We don’t really know much about this Shimo, and the threat he poses to the entire planet.
Let’s start off by looking at where Shimo came from. Shimo was first teased during a very surprising crossover between the MonsterVerse and Call of Duty. Players could stumble upon a cave painting that depicted the King of the Monsters battling a four-legged monster, which was later identified as Shimo. Now, in Japanese, the word “Shimo” can roughly be translated in english to words/concepts like Cold, frost, frostbitten. A bit on the nose, but at least we know what Shimo is capable of, and the trailer gave us a few glimpses.
Shimo is of course an ice related MUTO, who actually looks to be a lot larger than Godzilla. In one of the shots in the trailer, we can see an ice blast being shot up into the sky, very similar to what Godzilla did in King of the Monsters. However, looking at the darkened sky looming over Rio De Janeiro, it’s safe to assume that this blast could serve a purpose. Early rumors pointed towards a new ice age, so this could be a terraforming beam that’ll be cooling the planet down.
What’s interesting about Shimo is how he fits into the narrative. With Skar King presumably being the primary villain, it appears as though he may have this Titan under his control. How is this possible? That’s a little bit trickier to work out, since we don’t actually know. It could be something that Skar King possesses, so it may be something that Shimo can break free from. It’s all speculation at this point, but the trailer certainly helped us build a slightly bigger picture.
Who do you think Shimo is? Let us know your theories in the comments, and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more MonsterVerse goodness.
Adam Wingard is back helming this next colossal blockbuster with Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry and Kaylee Hottle returning. There will also be some newcomers- Dan Stevens, Fala Chen and Rachel House have also joined the cast.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will arrive on the big screen on March 29th, 2024.
