Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire director Adam Wingard has teased the upcoming movie will be full of Easter eggs honoring the oldest era of Godzilla movies. The upcoming film will see its titular Titans face off against the Skar King, a red ape that threatens the safety of humanity. Given the history both characters have, there will likely be plenty of callbacks to their original movies.
Speaking with Total Film (via GamesRadar), Wingard confirmed Godzilla x Kong‘s story will include Easter eggs to the late Shōwa era of Godzilla films. The director encourages fans of the franchise to stay alert for references to Toho classics. Check out what Wingard had to say below:
One of the incredible things about Godzilla is that the character has existed in so many different tones and interpretations in the Toho films. I’m a huge fan of the whole spectrum, and I’ve always really enjoyed the late-Shōwa era. There are so many big ideas and they have such epic fun with these larger-than-life characters. In Godzilla vs. Kong, we paid homage to that epic tradition, including a handful of Easter eggs for the hardcore fans, and while I don’t want to give anything away, we definitely work in a few things for the Toho fans in the new film as well, so keep your eyes open!
How Godzilla x Kong Can Reference The Showa Era
The Shōwa era of the franchise started with the first Godzilla in 1954 and ended with 1975’s Terror of Mechagodzilla. While the series began by showing its titular kaiju as a threat to humanity, later entries morphed him into a protector, battling dangerous monsters that could destroy the world. These later entries informed the Monsterverse, where Titan fights are a staple of many major releases.
The end of Godzilla vs. Kong already references Shōwa films by featuring Mechagodzilla, the final major monster of the era. It’s possible additional references to the robot will be made in the next movie, calling back to both older films and the previous Monsterverse entry. There may also be references to other ideas present in later films, such as Godzilla gaining electricity powers or using his atomic breath to fly through the air.
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There could also be cameos from older monsters throughout the film, including fan favorites like Gigan and Jet Jaguar. The superhero style of Shōwa movies may inform how Godzilla x Kong‘s story and action sequences play out. With almost 70 years of films to pull from, though, relatively newer movies from Toho’s kaiju franchise could also end up referenced in the new movie.
Key Release Dates
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Release Date:2024-04-12
