The Monsterverse Needs Godzilla’s Best Villain

Godzilla is an anomaly when it comes to movie properties. There are two distinct types of Godzilla movies, each equally popular in its own way. There are serious films like the original Gojira (1954) and last year’s Godzilla Minus One that use the monster as a metaphor for humankind’s failures.

And then there are the Godzilla movies in which the monster has a professional wrestling match with a bunch of other giant creatures like the above mentioned Gigan.

Starting with 2014’s Godzilla and its evil MUTOs, Legendary’s Monsterverse quickly established itself as the second kind of Godzilla franchise.

The sequel Godzilla: King of the Monsters doubled down on this by having the big G throwdown with several of his fellow kaiju, including his archnemesis, King Ghidorah. After playing the Ghidorah card so early, Legendary had no choice but to make MechaGodzilla the big bad in Godzilla VS. Kong.

With Godzilla’s three most famous foes already exhausted—although Kong hardly counts as he quickly became an ally—where could the Monsterverse go for the sequel to GVK? The options seemed to be either resurrecting one of Godzilla’s lesser-known foes like Gigan or creating some new Kaiju.

We all know which option Legendary took, and to paraphrase the knight in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, “They chose poorly.

We totally get the idea of creating a villain like the Scar King for Kong; he doesn’t really have any signature opponents.

But the Titan they created for Godzilla to fight was just a bigger version of Godzilla with frost breath to counteract Godzilla’s atomic breath. That’s lazy writing, no matter how you slice it.

Especially when Godzilla has a much cooler, much more threatening enemy Legendary could have used. Gigan is a reptilian cyborg kaiju who is built for destruction and nothing else. Literally. His hands are razor-sharp metallic hooks, and his abdomen has a buzzsaw coming out of it from throat to crotch. The guy couldn’t live a peaceful existence if he tried.

Gigan has only appeared in three Godzilla films: Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972), Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973), and Godzilla: Final Wars (2004).

None of the films are regarded as classics, and Godzilla vs. Megalon is considered one of the worst movies in the franchise. Despite this, Gigan is a fan favorite when it comes to Godzilla’s many adversaries, and that’s for one very good reason: he’s metal AF.

Based on looks alone, Gigan is easily the most intimidating foe Godzilla has ever tangled with. A biomechanical nightmare, Gigan has a singular red eye that shoots a destructive beam of crimson energy that would put Cyclops to shame. Below that is a wicked beak surrounded by sharp metallic mandibles.

Of course, looking like a badass and actually backing it up are two different things. Rest assured, Gigan can walk the walk. Canonically, Gigan is the first Kaiju to make Godzilla bleed. That’s a big deal if you are familiar with just how tough it is to pierce Godzilla’s hide.

Not only that, but the dude has upgrades. If the giant metal hooks aren’t doing it, Gigan’s alien overlords can outfit him with razor-sharp scythes like he has at the beginning of Final Wars.

If the scythes aren’t—excuse the pun—cutting it, Gigan can upgrade to a form where he sports two double-bladed chainsaw hands.

Chainsaw hands! How freakin’ cool is that?

With the success of New Empire, another Monsterverse Godzilla movie is inevitable. Rather than creating another anti-Godzilla like Shimu, Legendary, if you’re reading this, please just use Gigan as the villain.

We’d even settle for Biolante—though we doubt you’ll ever go that obscure.