Godzilla and King Kong may be the titans fans flock to see, but a new contender has entered the ring, and he’s no mindless beast. Director Adam Wingard sheds light on the motivations behind Skar King, the cunning villain who stands as a stark contrast to Kong in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
While Godzilla and other Titans are driven by instinct, Skar King is different. Unlike Godzilla and the other big monsters, he isn’t just acting on instincts. He’s smart and thinks things through. Here the director explains more about what makes Skar King such a unique and menacing villain.
Director Reveals Why Skar King is the Perfect Villain in the MonsterVerse
Director Adam Wingard wanted to show how smart primates can be in real life, and he used that to shape Skar King’s character. Wingard stated that the ruler of the hidden ape civilization within the Hollow Earth is “ego-driven.”
In that way, “he’s very much a dictator character,” which means that he actually plans and schemes to get what he wants. Wingard emphasized the fun in creating “a giant monster” who is “also a conniving presence.” The 41-year-old director spoke in an interview with Entertainment Weekly:
“The idea with him was always that his agility gives him an advantage in a one-on-one fight, but he’s also in possession of the Titan equivalent of a weapon of mass destruction. [Skar King is] “a very multifaceted villain in that sense because he’s a threat in lots of different ways. He commands an army, he commands this even bigger monster, and he’s a jerk. He’s very much the anti-Kong.”
In the trailers (via Warner Bros. Pictures’ YouTube channel), we got a sneak peek of Kong getting a cool upgrade with a new mechanical gauntlet. He uses this gauntlet in one of the battles against Skar King.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire brings a new twist to the classic monster showdown. Adding Skar King to the mix, the movie explores the deeper aspects of these titans.
While reviews for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire are mixed, with a 55% score on Rotten Tomatoes, audiences seem to be enjoying it more (as evidenced by its 92% audience score).
The film brings back familiar faces like Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), her daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), and Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry), while introducing new characters like Suko, a young ape from Hollow Earth.
What Lies Ahead for the Legendary Titans?
Unlike previous Monsterverse films, The New Empire doesn’t have a post-credits scene traditionally used to tease future storylines. This absence could indicate a wait-and-see approach.
After the 2021 movie (Godzilla vs. Kong), Kong’s story kept going in the MonsterVerse animated TV series, Skull Island. He also made a cameo appearance in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. In these, it was revealed that a tech company Apex Cybernetics set up a research station on Skull Island.
While a sequel hasn’t been confirmed, Wingard wants to come back to make more MonsterVerse films (as he told told IndieWire’s Filmmaker Toolkit podcast). But that depends on how well The New Empire does at the box office. As the MonsterVerse continues to evolve, fans can look forward to even more epic clashes between titans and the humans caught in their wake.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire released yesterday on 29 March 2024, watch the film in nearby theatres.
