We finally received the trailer for Godzilla vs. Kong today, which promises an epic battle between the two titans. The movie will arrive in theaters and on HBO Max on March 26th, following multiple delays and obviously, fans are already very excited about the preview. In fact, some eagle-eyed viewers have now claimed that we get a glimpse of Mechagodzilla in the footage, the creature’s robotic doppelgänger.
Close examination of the promo gives us a few reasons to believe that Mechagodzilla is part of the action. You see, one shot seems to show someone against a computer background with a systems display for the giant robot. Meanwhile, in another scene of destruction in an urban area, we can also briefly see a kaijū that, compared to how Godzilla is usually portrayed, is almost certainly mechanical.
Of course, Mechagodzilla’s presence in the film has been repeatedly teased, including via a prequel comic, and some more spoilerish talk about the story’s climax. A leaked image of toys also looks to include the character, while a theory has already been outlined about how Mechagodzilla is created by Monarch on Skull Island and used as the first opponent for Kong before taking on the real thing.
For those not aware, the Godzilla duplicate first appeared in Toho’s Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla in 1974, wherein he was an extraterrestrial. However, later incarnations have been man-made, including in a 1990s sequel where the creature is built by the United Nations as a kaijū countermeasure. Adding the creation to the Legendary MonsterVerse franchise makes sense, then, given that it’s been a staple of various types of Godzilla content over the years.
Based on what we can see in the trailer, it does seem that Mechagodzilla will have some part to play in Godzilla vs. Kong, even if it’s only in cameo form. We’d imagine that Wingard and co. don’t want to detract too much from the main conflict, but including another icon from the series would likely boost the fan service that the film is predicated upon.