The inclusion of Mechagodzilla in Godzilla vs. Kong didn't come out of nowhere - the Toho villain was actually set up by a carefully concealed reference in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Since the trailer for the upcoming movie hasn't been released, Legendary is staying tight-lipped about the plot and what other kaiju may be included in the film, but photos from a toy convention in Hong Kong have revealed that Mechagodzilla will be joining the MonsterVerse.
The MonsterVerse has 17 confirmed Titans so far, and four of them are creatures from Toho's Godzilla movies. The Toho properties who exist in the MonsterVerse include, of course, Godzilla himself, popular allies Mothra and Rodan, and his biggest enemy, King Ghidorah. It would appear that MonsterVerse is adding a fifth Toho kaiju in the form of Mechagodzilla, a robotic duplicate of Godzilla who first clashed with the King of the Monsters in 1974's Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla. Originally conceived as a creation of apelike aliens intent on conquering the planet, Mechagodzilla has been reimagined a few times over the years, occasionally being utilized as a force for good.
As surprising as it may have been for fans when the news leaked about Mechagodzilla being in the MonsterVerse, the last movie already set this in motion. In the credits of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the article titled "Monarch Boosts Forces Around Skull Island" contained a line of text that mentions Monarch was building a "mechanized giant" on Skull Island. This could mean that King of the Monsters subtly informed viewers about Mechagodzilla's construction.
Even if this wasn't a Mechagodzilla Easter egg, this clearly sets the stage for his debut. Classic Toho films have used manmade villains that aren't Mechagodzilla in the past, so if this wasn't about him, specifically, it could have been a reference to another Toho character, or perhaps even an original creation. Either way, it means that the capabilities for creating robot Titans does indeed exist in the MonsterVerse.
The news about Mechagodzilla is the first true indication that Godzilla vs. Kong will involve a Godzilla-Kong team-up. Despite all the talk about Godzilla's fight with Kong having a definitive winner, it was long-suspected that this would be the case, though it was unclear who they'd end up fighting. Options included brand-new Titans, Mecha-King Ghidorah, Destoroyah, Gigan, and Biollante. Mechagodzilla's name was thrown around as well, but there was a belief that a robot Godzilla might be hard to pull off in a modern monster movie.
Regardless of this concern, Godzilla vs. Kong appears to be moving in this direction. It's an exciting possibility, considering that Mechagodzilla brings a lot to the table. As a kaiju built by humans, he's a kind of villain that the MonsterVerse's Godzilla, a creature who has been battling fellow Titans for thousands of years, has never faced before. Toho's Mechagodzilla, with his huge arsenal of limits, has pushed Godzilla to the edge on multiple occasions, and remains to this day his second-most iconic adversary, so how Godzilla vs. Kong adapts the character will be fun to watch.
