While the titular colossal creatures will be the stars of the show, Godzilla vs. Kong still needs some humans to complement the monster mayhem. We want to see kaiju titans compete against each other in what will be a showdown for the ages, sure, but we also need some grounded heroes we can relate to. Well, most people do, anyway. Some of you might empathize more with the big beasties
The good news is that some exciting names are set to join the monster royalty, as Variety revealed that Atlanta standout Brian Tyree Henry has joined the cast of Adam Wingard’s opus. We don’t know anything about his role yet, but word on the street is that his part will be significant. That’s good enough for me. Just bring on the damn movie already.
Henry’s Hollywood profile has been growing recently, and with each new addition to his filmography, he edges closer to becoming a household name people will flock out in their droves to see. In addition to this monster mash, the two-time Emmy-nominated actor will also be appearing in the upcoming Widows, If Beale Street Could Talk, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Super Intelligence, The Woman In the Window, and the Child’s Play reboot. On top of that, he’ll also be reprising his role in Atlanta season three. That’s a good mix of projects right there. Now he can add the giant monster flick to his impressive resume.
The kaiju smackdown is the ultimate appeal of Godzilla vs. Kong, but I hope Henry gets plenty of chances to shine throughout. He’s a very talented character actor who excels at drama. I suspect this movie will let him showcase his fun side some more, but he’s a perfect choice for adding a sense of realism to this beautiful madness. That said, it’s also great that he’s appearing in a big blockbuster like this as it will allow him to explore a different side of his repertoire.
Do you know who else is an exciting rising talent? Millie Bobby Brown. After skyrocketing to popularity as Eleven in Netflix’s Stranger Things, she landed the starring human role in Michael Dougherty’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which will be released next year and make the world a better place. Well, it seems like she’s the focal point for this franchise going forward, as she’ll also be appearing in this Godzilla vs Kong.
I wish they kept this one a secret until after King of the Monsters, though. Now that we know she’ll be in this movie as well it removes the element of surprise. It’s safe to assume that her character will survive the carnage. Not that we expected her not to, but sometimes it’s nice to enter these movies under the illusion that the peril might be too great for our young heroes to overcome. Movie marketing gives too much away these days. Pfft to that, I say.
Still, that’s me nit-picking. I still love where this movie is heading. Clearly Wingard and co. have up and coming talent on their mind. Joining the aforementioned actors is teen sensation, Julian Dennison. Not much is known about his part, either, but the fact he’s included makes the movie even more appealing. After stealing the show in Hunt for the Wilderpeople and Deadpool 2, this little brat is on his way to big things. A movie of this magnitude will only propel him further into the spotlight.
This franchise sells itself, so it’s great to see this movie use its platform to cast some interesting folks. By the time this movie rolls around in 2020, though, Henry will likely be a marquee name. The same can be said for the Brown and Dennison if they continue to take on roles that impress everyone. Sometimes movies like this don’t feature strong human characters (I’d argue that the Legendary franchise doesn’t suffer from this issue), but Godzilla vs. Kong is loading its cast with personality and they’re all as exciting as the two kings themselves.
Related Topics: Godzilla, Godzilla vs Kong, King Kong
