After Marvel broke changed the world of film with the MCU, it seems that shared universes are popping up just about everywhere. One of the more recent ones is the MonsterVerse, which got its kickstart with 2014's Godzilla and the recent blockbuster Kong: Skull Island. The two iconic creatures are set to meet face to face when Godzilla vs. Kong arrives in theaters in 2020, and it turns out that both of them will be going through some changes before they crossover. And for King Kong, said changes are going to be pretty serious, especially since there will be a sizable time gap between his two appearances. After all, Skull Island was set in the 70s.
Director Adam Wingard will be helming Godzilla vs. Kong, and he recently revealed how the years have changed the protector of Skull Island. He said,
Ours is more in continuity with the sequel to Godzilla right now. They're doing Godzilla 2 with Mike Dougherty directing, so our film is in present day. We have a couple characters from Godzilla 2 in ours, but it'll be interesting to see how Kong has fared over the years. You see him in that film and he's just constantly under attack. Things are going wrong and there's probably been lots of human intervention since then. It'll be interesting to see a more rugged, a bit more aged Kong in this film.
This poor guy can't catch a break. Looks like we'll see an older and more battle worn Kong when he finally battles Godzilla, and it should be pretty awesome.
Adam Wingard's statement to Slash Film is exciting for a few reasons. But perhaps the most relieving is that the MonsterVerse seems to really be planning things out in advance. Rather than flying off the cuff a la the DC Extended Universe, there is a clear game plan informing the development of future films.
Besides the logistical concerns, it's exciting to hear how King Kong will be looking and acting so much different than his first appearance on Kong: Skull Island. The film referenced how Kong was not fully grown, so he'll be an even more impressive behemoth when he eventually returns to the silver screen. And Kong is going to need the extra strength, as Godzilla's appearance in the 2014 film dwarfs the size of Kong. But given a few extra decades to grow, and the two iconic characters may end up being evenly matched.
Alas, we'll have to wait a few more years before we see how big King Kong has actually gotten. Godzilla: King of the Monsters will arrive first in 2019, introducing three beloved characters from the mythos.
Godzilla vs. Kong will hit theaters sometime in 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2017 release list to plan your next binge watch.
