The Godzilla vs. Kong trailer did much more than just wash away doubts about Kong being able to hold his own – and even win – against a Titan as mighty as Godzilla. Prior to the trailer’s release, Godzilla was the heavy favorite to take home the glory and hold on to his crown, which he won after defeating Ghidorah in Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Kong was declared the winner in their original fight in Toho’s King Kong vs. Godzilla, but that hasn’t stopped fans from viewing him as the underdog in the MonsterVerse’s rematch. Since 1962, Godzilla’s image and popularity has come a long a way. His portrayal in both Toho’s movies and Legendary’s MonsterVerse has created a perception that Godzilla – true to his title of King of the Monsters – is the strongest of the Titans. Plus, there’s the issue of Kong’s height in 2015’s Kong: Skull Island. Considering that Kong was less than a third of Godzilla’s size, it was difficult for fans to believe that any growth spurt would be enough to put him in Godzilla’s league.

Related: Why Gojira Is Godzilla vs Kong's Villain: Every Theory Explained

Given how little credit Kong was given, Legendary certainly had a challenge on its hands in terms of making it feel like the ape has an equal chance against Godzilla. Even so, the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer has succeeded in altering perceptions about Kong’s capabilities. First of all, it should be noted that despite Godzilla’s reputation as a force to be reckoned with, it’s Kong who’s getting in most of the hits in the footage. Kong can be seen shoving Godzilla off the aircraft carrier and punching him across the face. Plus, Kong gets the best of Godzilla in the standoff at the end of the trailer. When Godzilla bombards him with his atomic breath, Kong blocks it with his axe and brings his weapon down on him.

Godzilla vs. Kong gets new footage showing Godzilla's atomic breath and Kong's new weapon

The trailer provides strong evidence that Kong can overcome the odds and defeat Godzilla. Of course, this shouldn’t be taken to mean that he will win, but the trailer does show viewers that Kong does indeed have what it takes to push Godzilla to the edge. Perhaps the scene that does the most to strengthen the notion that Kong can fight with Godzilla is their collision at the end. Before the trailer was released, it was believed that the biggest obstacle Kong had in his way was Godzilla’s atomic breath. In King Kong vs. Godzilla, Kong – being a giant ape with no energy attacks of his own – naturally had no good answer for the atomic breath, which badly singed his fur with each blast. Now, it’s become apparent that the atomic breath isn’t the huge problem it was originally thought to be. Kong couldn’t defend against it in 1962, but he can in 2021 -- thanks to his axe.

Plus, Kong’s greatest defense is also his best offense. The Godzilla vs. Kong trailer highlights Kong’s new weapon, an axe constructed from a Titan bone and Godzilla’s spikes. Exactly what Kong needed to be a physical threat to Kong was a weapon that can cut into Godzilla’s thick hide. With Kong in possession of this strange new axe, it does appear that if Godzilla doesn’t fight at his best, he could end up losing more than just his position as alpha in Godzilla vs. Kong.

More: Godzilla vs Kong's APEX Explained: Villains, Monarch Or New Group?

Key Release Dates