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When you are bringing together two of the biggest creatures in cinema history, they need to be facing a suitably large threat. That was the problem facing the writers of the latest film in the MonsterVerse franchise – what villain could bring the two Titans together and make them put their differences aside? Though the trailers didn’t reveal much about the Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire villain, the director has already given fans something to think about.

At the end of Godzilla vs. Kong, the giant ape took up residence in the Hollow Earth, but that doesn’t mean he can rule uncontested there. The new villain in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is Skar King, a giant ape that seems to dwarf even Kong in scale. It is an interesting change for the franchise, which has up till now stuck to classic Godzilla monsters as the antagonists. This time, we see a dark reflection of Kong in action.

Kaiju movie fans will also note that Skar King is a new creation just for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire rather than one from cinema history. Adam Wingard, the film’s director, told Total Film earlier this year why Skar King poses such a big threat to the two Titans. “What’s interesting about this new film is that we go in a direction that I don’t think the series has ever seen before, which is that the Skar King is, in a way, the closest that the human threat has ever been juxtaposed onto a Titan itself. The Skar King almost represents an upscaled version of the worst parts of humanity, just as Kong represents some of the best parts of humanity.”

The trailers seem to imply that Skar King is driven by ambition for Kong’s throne in Hollow Earth and wants to expand their new empire to the surface world, which would be in line with what Wingard explained about the villain. How well those motivations are explained amongst the roars and crashes of a classic kaiju battle won’t be revealed until the movie hits cinemas at the end of March 2024.

Whichever giant monster is your favorite, Popverse has you covered. We have a guide to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire's ending (and what it means for the broader MonsterVerse), as well as watch orders for both Legendary's MonsterVerse and Godzilla's overall movies, as well as why Godzilla Minus One left theaters early (and why New Empire could be to blame!), and if you're a Popverse premium member, a New York Comic Con-exclusive interview with the cast and crew of Legendary's kaiju-hunting drama Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.