Godzilla vs. Kong writer Michael Dougherty compares that fight to Rocky vs. Ivan Drago. It’s been years since audiences last saw two of cinema’s most notorious monsters of all time, Godzilla and King Kong, battle each other head to head. Though the pair first met on screen in the Japanese language King Kong vs. Godzilla in 1962, the rivalry between the two creatures has continued to grow and attract an audience even today.

With the creation of its very own Monsterverse in 2014, Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have set out to breathe new life into two of the biggest Titans to have ever graced the silver screen. King Kong and Godzilla may have come from completely different places, but the Monsterverse has found a way to pit them against one another in the soon to be released official follow up to 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla vs. Kong. Exactly how this will take place is a bit of a confusing matter for those familiar with Godzilla’s atomic super breath, as King Kong - while a substantial monster in his own right - has no such power, and can only rely on his size and strength.

That being said, Bloody Disgusting was able to help shed some light on this upcoming battle of the beasts, having discussed the topic recently with Godzilla vs. Kong writer (and director of the soon to release Godzilla: King of the Monsters) Michael Dougherty. While Dougherty wasn’t prepared to fully reveal exactly how this mega-battle will go down, he was able to point out a similar rivalry between a heavyweight and an underdog, by comparing Godzilla Vs. Kong to Rocky IV’s boxing matchup between Rocky and Ivan Drago. Said Dougherty:

Citing a natural human tendency to want to watch a fight of this nature, Dougherty also pointed out that although there might not seem like a lot of reason for a creature like King Kong to battle the Earth’s protector, Godzilla, in the end it might all just come down to destiny. Beyond that, Dougherty also said that from a storytelling perspective, the hope is that audiences won’t find the reasoning for a Godzilla vs. Kong battle to be contrived.

“We’re looking at an almost David vs. Goliath situation. Because everyone, the moment you say Godzilla’s going to fight Kong, your first reaction is Kong doesn’t stand a chance. Godzilla’s got his radioactive breath, et cetera, et cetera. But then if you really take the time to look at Kong as a character, it’s like, okay, in Skull Island he was an adolescent, so he was still growing. So who knows how big he is since the 1970s when they first met him? Kong is extremely intelligent. As a primate, he’s a tool-user. So he’s got speed, he’s got agility, he might have some good size. And I like a good underdog battle. You know, it’s like watching Rocky go up against Ivan Drago. It seems like it’s unfair but clearly, this means the underdog might have a few surprises.”

How and why this upcoming battle will take shape has been a common question for some time now. And while there have indeed been theories as to what the Godzilla and King Kong match-up will mean for the two Titans involved, it will also undoubtedly play a major role in the continuation and growth of the Monsterverse. So while we might not yet know what will make this fight possible, what we do know is that Godzilla vs. Kong will reveal some essential pieces of the growing Monsterverse’s construction.

Next: Every Upcoming Godzilla Movie

Source: Bloody Disgusting

  • Godzilla Vs Kong Release Date: 2021-03-31 Godzilla 2 Release Date: 2019-05-31