“A Conniving Presence”: Why Godzilla X Kong’s New Villain Is A Bigger Threat Than Other Titans Explained

Warning: Spoilers for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

The new villain in Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire was built to fight King Kong. As the latest installment of the MonsterVerse, The New Empire is the sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong and features the Kong desperately trying to recruit Godzilla to help him face off against a common enemy — the deadly Skar King. This is the Skar King’s first appearance and marks a turning point for Kong’s character.

Godzilla X Kong: The New Empire‘s cast is extensive, but the Skar King remains a standout. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Adam Wingard explained that the Skar King was built as a foil for Kong. This new enemy is intelligent but brutal, and it puts him at odds with his fellow gigantic ape. Check out Wingard’s full quote below:

“What’s exciting about that is knowing that, as apes, these aren’t just reactive animals; they have a higher intelligence, The Scar King is a major threat because, unlike most giant monsters, he’s not just doing things in an instinctual way. He’s doing it in a very evil, contemplative way. He’s making decisions, and he’s ego-driven. In that way, he’s very much a dictator character. It was a lot of fun to be able to play with a character that’s both a giant monster but also a conniving presence. 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. So he’s 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.”

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