Towards the end of 2020, the MonsterVerse will finally pit Godzilla and King Kong against one another in the appropriately-named Godzilla vs. Kong, an event that’s been in the making for years. That being said, this isn’t the first time that these two monstrosities have clashed. They previously went toe-to-toe over in Japan nearly 60 years ago in King Kong vs. Godzilla, and rumor has it that the American crossover could have a cool callback to that Toho movie.
While we’ve barely seen anything in the way of Godzilla vs. Kong marketing yet, supposedly a pre-screening for the fourth MonsterVerse movie was recently held. According to Godzilla-Movies, during one of Godzilla and King Kong’s “many battles,” the latter picks up a tree and throws it at the former. This is an homage to when King Kong used a tree as a weapon against Godzilla during their Japanese showdown, as seen below.
However, rather than ram the tree down his opponent’s throat like he did in King Kong vs. Godzilla, the giant gorilla will chuck the tree like a spear at the radioactive reptile’s face. It’s possible this reported scene could be cut from the final version of Godzilla vs. Kong since the movie will surely go through more edits between now and November, but based on the visuals alone, I suspect if it’s real, it’ll be kept in.
Even if you’ve never seen King Kong vs. Godzilla and don’t know that this Godzilla vs. Kong moment is an homage, it’s still a noteworthy example of King Kong’s fighting style. In Kong: Skull Island, King Kong used tree trunks and chains to vanquish foes like the Skullcrawlers, and as Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard noted last year, the Titan’s ability to use tools, paired with his intelligence, speed and agility, could give him an edge in the fight against Godzilla.
Let’s also not forget that Godzilla vs. Kong takes place approximately five decades after the events of Kong: Skull Island, and King Kong will have grown significantly since when we first met him in the MonsterVerse. That could also increase his odds of coming out victorious. And rest assured, unlike in King Kong vs. Godzilla, which ended with a draw, there will be a winner in Godzilla vs. Kong.
While Godzilla has been quite busy in the present-day MonsterVerse, chronologically speaking, King Kong’s life over the last half century has been relatively quiet… well, the closest thing to quiet on a place like Skull Island, anyway. Although he wasn’t present for Godzilla: King of the Monsters, he did briefly appear in the movie’s novelization, refusing to answer the call that was sent out to Titans across the world.
Unfortunately for King Kong, he’s going to be thrust back into action soon. During the Godzilla: King of the Monsters credits, it was shown that numerous Titans are converging on Skull Island, a place already packed with various monsters. We also glimpsed ancient cave paintings of Godzilla battling King Kong, so Godzilla vs. Kong won’t be their first time crossing paths.
It still hasn’t been revealed what will specifically lead to Godzilla and King Kong fighting one another, but as two of the mightiest Titans on the planet, their epic clash will have ramifications for the entire world. Needless to say their brawl will be Godzilla vs. Kong’s main attraction, but the movie will also follow Monarch operatives embarking on a mission to discover clues about the Titans’ origins, as well as a conspiracy to wipe out these creatures being uncovered.
Had things gone according to the original plan, Godzilla vs. Kong would be coming out next month, but now you can look forward to it hitting theaters on November 20. Look through our 2020 release schedule to learn what other movies open later this year.
