In a new clip for Jordan Vogt-Roberts KONG: SKULL ISLAND, we get to watch one of my all-time favorite actors, John Goodman, give Samuel L. Jackson's Lieutenant Colonel Packard character the 411 on precisely what they're dealing with on the mysterious and monster-laden isle. Naturally, because of the planned Monsterverse film initiative, Goodman's Bill Randa reveals that he's a primary member of Monarch, an organization that "specializes in the hunt for massive unidentified terrestrial organisms." It's also worth noting Monarch was featured as a part of Gareth Edward's 2014 GODZILLA reboot starring Bryan Cranston, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Ken Watanabe, and Elizabeth Olsen.
Now, as Goodman mentions the phrase "massive unidentified terrestrial organism" in the clip, one can't help but think of the winged creature from GODZILLA, which was referred to as MUTO. Thus, this has us thinking that the events between GODZILLA and KONG: SKULL ISLAND are assuredly connected.
As for the mention of Monarch, the fictional organization was established in the 1950s in an attempt to destroy Godzilla using a series of nuclear-related weapons. Monarch's goal was to study Godzilla and his kind, but over time, the group learned that there was little they could do against the giant lizard's penchant for leveling cityscapes and causing panic in the streets.
With this clip now out in the open, it stands to reason that we can permit our imaginations to run wild in terms of what creatures from Toho's library will find their way into this new generation of Monsterverse films. In addition to Kong and Godzilla, will we be seeing Mothra? Perhaps Ghidorah will stomp onto the scene, or maybe Daigoro, Kamacuras, Ebirah, or even Anguirus will wreak some havoc.
There's no telling what might occur until KONG: SKULL ISLAND, starring Tom Hiddleston, Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, John Goodman, John C. Reilly, and Toby Kebbell smashes its way into theaters on March 10, 2017.