Gigan, a fan-favorite choice for Godzilla vs. Kong 2’s villain, can’t be used without the MonsterVerse repeating Godzilla: King of the Monsters’ story. Easily recognized by his cyborg physiology and hooks for hands, the Toho kaiju is one of the most popular villains in Godzilla’s rogues’ gallery. Thanks to his iconic design and his ability to physically challenge Godzilla Toho’s movies, Gigan is one of the most talked-about candidates for the next MonsterVerse movie’s mystery villain.
While a MonsterVerse interpretation of Gigan would certainly be a sight to see, it’s worth noting that his origin presents a clear issue for the franchise’s next story. It’s been established by a Godzilla vs. Kong 2 plot synopsis that the villain is an “undiscovered threat hidden deep within our world.” If the movie were to reveal that this creature is Gigan, the movie would essentially share the same premise as Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which was ultimately about the discovery of an alien Titan that had secretly been on Earth for thousands of years. Since Gigan is traditionally an alien as well, he too would have to be introduced as an extraterrestrial monster who crash-landed on Earth centuries ago, only to be forgotten over time.
Why Gigan Has To Be An Alien In The MonsterVerse
Given that his cyborg body is a key part of his design, it’s hard to imagine the MonsterVerse utilizing Gigan as anything other than an alien. Because of his look and the nature of his character in general, he doesn’t really fit the mold of an Earth-born Titan or a product of the planet’s natural environment. For that reason, it’s best that the MonsterVerse remain true to Gigan’s Toho origin if and when it brings him to the big screen. And if what King of the Monsters did with Ghidorah is any indication, there’s a good chance that the MonsterVerse will want to ensure that its take on Gigan maintains the essence of the classic Showa era monster.
How Gigan Can Work In The MonsterVerse
Gigan’s similarities to the MonsterVerse's Ghidorah would complicate any plan to craft a story centered on him, whether it be Godzilla vs. Kong 2 or a different movie entirely. However, that’s not to say that the kaiju should be avoided completely. After all, there are ways he can work in a MonsterVerse movie. The best course of action would be to follow the formula of movies like Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. Megalon, and Godzilla: Final Wars, which refrained from making him the central antagonist. Instead, Gigan was depicted as an ally of another monster. So if Gigan is a secondary villain in Godzilla vs. Kong 2 (as opposed to the main threat), the MonsterVerse won’t run the risk of his alien origin defining the plot in the same way that Ghidorah’s backstory did.
Gigan not being the best choice for Godzilla vs. Kong 2’s villain further limits the options for this mystery role. With the monster in question set up to be a secret Hollow Earth Titan, chances are it’s not manmade monsters like Destoroyah or Biollante either. In fact, the villain may not actually be any existing kaiju in Toho’s library. Instead, the movie may introduce an original Titan and save Gigan, Destoroyah, Biollante, and all the rest for later.