In Godzilla vs. Kong, it should be Mechagodzilla – not one of the two title characters – who wins the first battle. Godzilla’s robotic counterpart from Toho’s movies hasn’t been officially confirmed for the upcoming fourth installment in the MonsterVerse, but his inclusion was spoiled by a toy leak in January 2020.
Introduced in 1974’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, the character has a reputation as Godzilla’s second greatest villain after King Ghidorah. In his first outing, Mechagodzilla proved so powerful that Godzilla was forced to team up with King Caesar to defeat him. Originally, he was conceived as a weapon engineered by aliens, but the Heisei and Millennium eras of Godzilla movies reimagined him as a force for good controlled by the Japanese government. Over the years, Godzilla and Mechagodzilla have come to blows five times, with the King of the Monsters generally coming out on top. It would seem that a sixth matchup is now on the horizon, except this time Kong will be joining the action.
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What Godzilla vs. Kong has planned for the three giant monsters hasn’t been revealed. Though the focus will of course be on the titular Titans, Mechagodzilla is sure to play an important role, since he may be the opponent that forces them to team up. If so, Mechagodzilla should win the first fight against Godzilla, Kong, or both. If Godzilla defeats Kong right away, he could be perceived as the villain, as then Kong would become the underdog for audiences to root for when it comes time for their rematch. A better alternative would be for Mechagodzilla to defeat one of them instead so becomes clear how much of a threat he truly is.
Mechagodzilla gaining a decisive victory early on will help fans take him seriously as a main villain. As a metallic duplicate of Godzilla, it would be easy for him to be thought of as silly, so it’s key that Godzilla vs. Kong avoids giving him this image. Mechagodzilla must come off as an incredibly dangerous and sinister adversary for the two rival alphas. One way for him to earn some respect is by taking down either Titan. Mechagodzilla has never outright beaten Godzilla in a fair fight before but there is a precedent for him to possess those capabilities. His deadly arsenal of weapons once left Godzilla on the brink of death in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.
Mechagodzilla getting the opportunity to win the opening battle makes sense story-wise, based on what is known about the movie. The mention of a “mechanized giant” being built on Skull Island in the Godzilla: King of the Monsters credits indicates that Skull Island is where the MonsterVerse’s Mechagodzilla will first appear. Also, since that same place is where Kong lives, it will likely be the starting point for his character as well. With at least Kong and Mechagodzilla beginning the movie on Skull Island, the robotic Titan may quickly get a chance to prove himself.
- Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)Release date: May 21, 2020
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