A few weeks ago, we decided to take a look at one of the newest members of the MonsterVerse franchise, Shimo. With Shimo’s colossal size and devastating ice powers, this new Titan will definitely pose a problem for both Godzilla and Kong. However, there is another piece to this Titan equation, and his name is Skar King. But what do we know about this new force of nature? Let’s take a look at what awaits Godzilla and Kong in their upcoming movie, The New Empire.
The Skar King is our first additional ape-like Titan. Compared to Kong, he is much taller and lankier, but don’t let that fool you in regards to his strength. Kong may be stronger, but Skar King seems to have experience on his side, and he comes equipped with a weapon (called Whiplash) and some very intimidating face paint. Purely based on his appearance and demeanour, it’s very likely that Skar King is much smarter than Kong, relying on his brains, weapons, and Shimo to do more of the heavy lifting. The combined strength of Godzilla and Kong would frighten most Titans, but if you’re smarter then you’ll know that strength alone isn’t always a winning solution. Now, Skar King actually has another advantage… An army.
As mentioned in our post about Shimo, it appears as though Skar King is in complete control. Somehow, he has managed to tame Shimo, weaponising the Titan against Godzilla and the entire world, but there is more to this primate than meets the eye. In a Ceasar-esque kind of way, the Skar King has followers. He is revered. He rules over these smaller apes, perhaps using the threat of Shimo as a way to rule and control. However, as the trailers have shown, they do fight which means there is some form of allegiance here. They follow him, perhaps out of fear or maybe even respect. Maybe it’s both. But that leads onto the next piece of this puzzle… What do they gain with Skar King as their ruler?
Skar King looks to be letting Shimo off his leash, and with his power he could bring about Earth’s destruction. Is this about getting rid of Godzilla and Kong in one fell swoop, or could Skar King be setting the stage for a new era away from the Hollow Earth? Dethrone Kong and expand his empire. His motivations are somewhat unclear, but director Adam Wingard has stated that this new Titan is “the greatest threat that we’ve seen in these MonsterVerse movies.” Now, we’ve seen what Ghidorah was capable of, so that is quite a statement, but all will be revealed in just one week.
Regardless of what Skar King has planned, the threat is so intense that it’ll force Godzilla and Kong to work together. Considering their shaky relationship, that must count for something. No ordinary threat would force these two together. As King of the Monsters, Godzilla is capable of dealing with most Titans, and as the King of Skull Island, Kong is able to keep the Hollow Earth in check. But there are indeed secrets buried within the Hollow Earth that have escaped the ears of both kings, and they’re about to rise to the surface with a vengeance.
Once again at the helm is director Adam Wingard. The film stars Rebecca Hall (Godzilla vs. Kong, The Night House), Brian Tyree Henry (Eternals, Bullet Train), Dan Stevens (Legion, Beauty and the Beast), Kaylee Hottle, Alex Ferns (The Batman, Wrath of Man, Chernobyl) and Fala Chen (Irma Vep, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings).
The screenplay is by Terry Rossio (Godzilla vs. Kong, the Pirates of the Caribbean series) and Simon Barrett (You’re Next) and Jeremy Slater (Moon Knight), from a story by Rossio & Wingard & Barrett, based on the character “Godzilla” owned and created by TOHO Co., Ltd. The film is produced by Mary Parent, Alex Garcia, Eric Mcleod, Thomas Tull and Brian Rogers. The executive producers are Wingard, Jen Conroy, Jay Ashenfelter, Yoshimitsu Banno, Kenji Okuhira.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will arrive on the big screen on March 29th, 2024. Are you excited for this next installment? Let us know in the comments.
