Warning: Spoilers for Godzilla vs. Kong
Godzilla vs. Kong VFX supervisor, Bryan Hirota, reveals an intricate detail on Mechagodzilla that is not very noticeable in the film. The MonsterVerse bash released in theaters and for streaming last week. With an impressive run at the box office thus far, many are hoping the series will continue. Although a continuation isn't confirmed, Legendary does have ideas for future films.
It's always interesting learning the design process for the creatures of the MonsterVerse. For Godzilla's look in the 2014 film, director Gareth Edwards revealed the eagle was incorporated into the design. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, director Michael Dougherty says Mothra's design was done to make her more formidable than previous versions. With her strong forelimbs and stinger, she certainly has a fierce look. Pop culture fans were certainly happy to know the Skullcrawlers' look in Kong: Skull Island was influenced by characters such as Sachiel from Neon Genesis Evangelion and Cubone from Pokémon. In Godzilla vs. Kong, Mechagodzilla has unsurprisingly generated plenty of discussion. Every Mechagodzilla design has brought something unique to the table, and it's no different with the MonsterVerse version. Recently, director Adam Wingard revealed Mechagodzilla's design was inspired by seeing the robot designs in Transformers: Dark of the Moon as a lesson on what not to do.
In our interview with Bryan Hirota, the Godzilla vs. Kong VFX supervisor discussed Mechagodzilla's design process. The idea, according to Hirota, was to make the menace "extremely formidable," so that if fought alone, he would likely defeat Godzilla or Kong. The supervisor also says there is a design detail not too visible in the film. He explained:
A lot of this stuff isn't that visible in the film, but if you were to close-up on any of these joints, there are mechanical armatures that move pieces out of the way so that he can close his elbow joints or close the knees. We redesigned the feet to keep within the approved design, but also to add functionality to these points that need that needed to move. There were some weapons visible on him already, like the the rocket packs that were over the shoulders. But as we developed the action sequence with Mecha ultimately fighting both Godzilla and Kong, we were just looking for additional weapons to bring into the fight, because historically Mechagodzilla is armed to the teeth.
This is a great example of carefully designing a character so that everything works, even if the audience doesn't notice the little details. Hirota says for the climatic battle, the goal was to keep Mechagodzilla "in action and on the attack." This goal was certainly met in the final product. Mechagodzilla kept his opponent completely on the ropes, giving Godzilla the biggest beat-down in the series. If it wasn't for Kong jumping in, Godzilla may have breathed his last.
Every Mechagodzilla design has its fans. Many like the classic 1974 design above all else for its unique, sinister look. Others may like the more simplistic 1993 design, while others appreciate the sleek look of the 2002 design. As of three weeks ago, the 2021 MonsterVerse design can be added to the bunch for these discussions. When it comes to the action, Godzilla vs. Kong's Mechagodzilla delivered the grandest spectacle of them all. The film's climax can't be described as anything but epic.