Godzilla and King Kong will clash on the big screen for only the second time in film history when Godzilla vs. Kong arrives March 26 in theaters and on HBO Max. Directed by Adam Wingard (You're Next, Death Note), Godzilla vs. Kong serves as the fourth movie in Warner Bros. and Legendary's MonsterVerse, following Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. It also acts as a sequel to King of the Monsters, which ended with Godzilla reclaiming his place as the Titans' alpha predator and other kaiju beginning to heal the Earth through their presence.
However, when Godzilla vs. Kong picks up, it finds a mysteriously enraged Godzilla "cutting a swath of destruction across the globe." This, in turn, puts him on an unexpected collision course with Kong, who's gotten a whole lot bigger in the decades since the events of Skull Island. With the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer having only just dropped, here's a guide to the film's human cast and the characters they play.
Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård)
In an interview with The New York Times, actor Alexander Skarsgård described his Godzilla vs. Kong character, Nathan Lind, as a geologist who "works closely with Kong." The trailer similarly depicts Nathan aboard the ship transporting Kong from Skull Island, insisting the world "needs" the giant ape. Skarsgård was also spotted in photos from the Godzilla vs. Kong set wearing a gold jumpsuit bearing the Monarch logo. The actor is best known for his roles on the HBO series True Blood and Big Little Lies, in addition to his turn as Randall Flagg on CBS All Access' The Stand.
Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown)
Debuting in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Madison Russell is the daughter of the former Monarch scientists Emma and Mark Russell. She returns in Godzilla vs. Kong, and has seemingly been keeping a close eye on the various Titans' activity in the time since the events of King of the Monsters. Madison is again be played by Millie Bobby Brown, best known for Stranger Things and Enola Holmes.
Dr. Mark Russell (Kyle Chandler)
Madison's father, Mark Russell, is a specialist in animal behavior and communication who teamed up with Monarch to try and stop his ex-wife Emma from reawakening the Titans in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The character can be seen in the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer saying, "Godzilla's out there, and he's hurting people, and we don't know why," As before, Mark will be portrayed in the film by Kyle Chandler, who's also known for playing Coach Taylor on the TV series Friday Night Lights and his roles in shows like Bloodline.
Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall)
Ilene Andrews is one of the new human leads in Godzilla vs. Kong and appears to be a scientist who's been doing research on Skull Island's natives and Kong for years. She can also be heard talking about the ancient Titan war in the film's trailer, saying "The myths are real: There was a war... and they're the last ones standing," in reference to Godzilla and Kong. Ilene is played by Rebecca Hall, who also starred in Vicky Cristina Barcelona and has played supporting roles in films like The Prestige, The Town and Iron Man 3.
Maya Simmons (Eiza González)
In an interview with Collider, actor Eiza González described her Godzilla vs. Kong character, Maya Simmons, as "a very smart woman behind a company." González was also spotted wearing a gold jumpsuit with the Monarch logo on the movie's set and is aboard one of the barges transporting Kong when Godzilla attacks him in the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer. She is best known for her roles in the films Baby Driver and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, along with her turn as Santanico on From Dusk till Dawn: The Series.
Ren Serizawa (Shun Oguri)
Ren Serizawa is presumed to be the grown son of the late Dr. Ishirō Serizawa (Ken Watanabe), a Monarch scientist who was fascinated by Godzilla and sacrificed his life to help revive the Titan in King of the Monsters. Appearing only briefly in the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer, Ren Serizawa is speculated to be the secret antagonist who manipulated Godzilla into fighting Kong. Ren is played by Shun Oguri, who also voiced Alfons Heiderich in Fullmetal Alchemist the Movie: Conqueror of Shamballa and played Lupin III in Rupan sansei.
Josh Valentine (Julian Dennison)
Josh Valentine is Madison's frien,d and seems to be something of a Titans enthusiast, judging by the photos showing the two characters hanging out on the Godzilla vs. Kong set. The film's trailer further suggests the pair will get caught up in a much larger adventure as they try to figure out who or what provoked Godzilla into battling Kong. Josh is played by Julian Dennison, best known for starring in Hunt for the Wilderpeople and playing Russell Collins, aka Firefist, in Deadpool 2.
Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry)
Bernie Hayes can be spotted in the trailer talking to Madison and Josh, saying he's "of the same opinion" that some outside force, possibly a person, is responsible for causing Godzilla's inexplicable rampage. Although he doesn't appear to be a member of Monarch, Bernie has obviously been studying the Titans for some time. He is played by Brian Tyree Henry, who also portrays "Paper Boi" on the TV series Atlanta, and voiced Miles Morales' father, Jefferson Davis, in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Walter Simmons (Demián Bichir)
Walter Simmons briefly appears in the Godzilla vs. Kong trailer, saying "These are dangerous times" to someone offscreen. It's unclear if he works for Monarch, but he's clearly someone in a position of authority and has some knowledge of the situation with Godzilla and Kong. He is played by Demián Bichir, who's best known for his lead role on the TV series The Bridge and for starring in The Conjuring spinoff The Nun.
Jia (Kaylee Hottie)
Jia is a new character to the MonsterVerse and appears to be a member of Skull Island's Iwi tribe, based on the footage. She's described by Warner Bros. and Legendary as "a young orphaned girl with whom [Kong] has formed a unique and powerful bond," as evidenced by the pair of them touching fingers in the trailer. Jia is played by Kaylee Hottle, a relative newcomer and member of an all-Deaf family who appeared in the "10 Deaf Children: One Powerful Message" episode of the ASL Nook TV series.
Directed by Adam Wingard and written by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein, Godzilla vs. Kong stars Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry. The film arrives March 26 in theaters and on HBO Max.