Godzilla 2 Theory: Charles Dance Is Old Hiddleston From Skull Island

Godzilla: King of the Monsters is bringing back a character from Kong: Skull Island. Is it Tom Hiddleston's James Conrad, now played by Charles Dance?

Although Godzilla 2 is being heavily marketed as an epic monster crossover of its own - it will mark the western debut of Rodan, Mothra and Ghidorah - it's also part of a bigger, multi-film project. The MonsterVerse shared universe is two movies strong, starting in 2014 with Godzilla and continuing with Kong: Skull Island, with the end goal being 2020's Godzilla vs. Kong.

It had already been promised that Godzilla: King of the Monsters would have some "breadcrumbs" leading to that showdown (which was previously made in Japan at 1962's Kong vs. Godzilla), with shady Titan-hunting government organization Monarch long-assumed to be the S.H.I.E.L.D. style connector. However, speaking at San Diego Comic-Con, director Michael Dougherty confirmed that one character from Kong: Skull Island will appear - sparking speculation of just who it could be. Based on everything we know about the sequel, though, there's only one option: Charles Dance is an older Tom Hiddleston.

This Page: Charles Dance is Older Tom Hiddleston
Page 2: What James Conrad's Return Means For The MonsterVerse

Kong: Skull Island Set Up Four Characters For A Godzilla 2 Cameo

Let's back up a moment and look at Kong: Skull Island, a film that doesn't leave much open for crossovers. Jordan Vogt-Roberts' film had an unusably high body count, and assuming that Dougherty is talking about the human cast (and so no Kong himself or Skullcrawlers getting wrapped up in humanity's monster-fuelled attempt to stop Earth's destruction), we've only got four options: Tom Hiddleston's James Conrad, Brie Larson's Mason Weaver, Jing Tian's San Lin and Corey Hawkins' Houston Brooks. The latter two are Monarch scientists who battle for survival in the background of much of the movie before recruiting Conrad and Weaver in Kong: Skull Island's post-credits scene. That stinger was explicitly setting up Godzilla 2, with the four watching slides depicting cave paintings of Gojira tangling with Rodan, Mothra and Ghidorah.

Given the age of all four characters in 1973, any of them could still be alive during the (presumably) 2019 events of Godzilla: King of the Monsters. With that 46-year time jump, though, it would likely mean they'd be recast. And that's where Dance comes in.

Theory: Charles Dance's Mysterious Character Is Old Tom Hiddleston

Charles Dance and Vera Farmiga in Godzilla King of the Monsters

Charles Dance is unique in the cast of Godzilla: King of the Monsters in that he's not yet been given a character name. Everyone else in the primary and secondary cast - from Millie Bobby Brown (Madison Russell) to Anthony Ramos (Colonel Martinez) - so for an actor of Dance's stature (especially in recent years) suggests he's either not got a big enough role to warrant confirmation, or that it's a secret. All things considered, we're inclined to say the latter.

Actor-wise, everything matches. Hiddleston was 34 when he shot Kong: Skull Island, while Dance was 70 during Godzilla 2's production. That's a 35-year gap, which is within the broader limits of movie age (Hiddleston could easily be playing five years younger and Dance five older). Additionally, both actors have kept their native British accents. And, plainly put, if you were to cast an older Tom Hiddleston, Charles Dance is a fair shout (conversely, Hiddleston would make a spot-on young Tywin Lannister).

Comments from the actors bolster suspicions. When Screen Rant caught up with Hiddleston at the start of 2018 to discuss Aardman animation Early Man, we asked who he would pick to play his older counterpart in Godzilla vs. Kong. The actor claimed to not know of any crossover but stated he was aware of Godzilla 2. When pressed to provide a name, though, he was unforthcoming, instead (with the aid of co-star Maisie Williams) joking he could do it in prosthetics. By itself, it's a typically jovial press junket response, but if James Conrad really has been recast, then playing this coy would certainly fit.

Page 2 of 2: What James Conrad's Return Means For The MonsterVerse

What Could James Conrad's Role In Godzilla 2 Be?

If we're making the (somewhat safe) assumption that Charles Dance is playing James Conrad in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, that then begs the question of what the character's role is in the movie.

The main plot of Godzilla 2 is centered on the Russell family. Vera Farmiga's Emma believes that an unfolding apocalypse can be halted if Titans are reawoken, traveling the globe (reportedly forcefully) to bring Mothra, Rodan and Ghidorah back, only to split her family apart in the process: the trailer saw her and husband Mark (Kyle Chandler) schism and hinted Madison will come to disagree with her too. This may, of course, be tricksy trailer editing, but the implication is that her blind drive will accidentally release a worse threat, leading to the expected smackdown between Ghidorah and the rest. Among this, though, are a lot of secondary threads: Ken Watanabe and Sally Hawkins are both back as Monarch scientists Ishiro Serizawa and Vivienne Graham respectively; Bradley Whitford joins as an undefined Dr. Stanton; and O'Shea Jackson Jr. fronts a more military side of the story.

While that's a lot of spinning plates, Conrad can easily slot in. We last saw James signing up to a Monarch that had just lost its previous head, and here he's decked out in a shady all-black outfit; it would make sense for him to now be a higher up in the organization, possibly the leader. Thus, his role essentially depends on how Monarch are portrayed - noble scientists or greedy government - although either way, he may not have much of an impact.

Dance joined the cast in May 2017, a month before filming began and two months after the release of Kong: Skull Island. It's possible that the character is a secondary part of the film, with the direct connection between the Monarch head to the previous movie only decided on once Skull Island proved a success (it made $566 million worldwide). Indeed, the post-credits scene that potentially set up Conrad's return was almost cut from Kong, suggesting that Legendary were unsure on how tightly to tie things together. All of this would indicate a smaller role, more franchise-connective tissue than a key part of the movie at hand.

What James Conrad's Return Means For Godzilla vs. Kong

Even if Conrad does play an essential role in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, he's nevertheless going to be most remarkable for the wider universe connection. And that puts all thoughts towards Godzilla vs. Kong. With the movie a little under two years away, little is known about Adam Wingard's, although some early casting is revealing: Millie Bobby Brown, Kyle Chandler and Ziyi Zhang are all set to reprise their Godzilla 2 roles (along with MonsterVerse newcomers Julian Dennison and Danai Gurira). That not only suggests that Vera Farmiga won't make it out of King of the Monsters alive, but indicates that the team-up is a direct follow-on to the upcoming Godzilla sequel.

Charles Dance's Conrad would thus serve as a direct link back through the MonsterVerse, a more personal link to Kong than the faceless Monarch. As already alluded to, we don't know much about how they operate - are they the S.H.I.E.L.D. of The Avengers or the S.H.I.E.L.D. of Captain America: The Winter Soldier? - but Dance at least provides a relatable in.

Whether Charles Dance really is James Conrad in Godzilla: King of the Monsters or not will surely be revealed in the coming months, but from everything we know at the moment he's the best candidate for the Kong: Skull Island crossover. After all, there's a delicious irony to Conrad, a character whose first monster encounter was Kong, to declare "Long live the King" regarding Godzilla: it almost begs a fight for the crown.