Since the inception of its MonsterVerse, Legendary Pictures has promised kaiju fans the opportunity to see their favorite monsters inhabit the same world. Of all the face-offs, the prospect of King Kong challenging Godzilla in a battle for supremacy has stood as the most exciting opportunity. With Godzilla vs. Kong slated to hit theaters in November, fans will finally get the chance to see an updated take on the battle that was originally depicted in 1962.
Few plot details for the movie are available, so many of the hints for the film's direction have been found in leaked concept art and toys. A new wave of toys unveils a new kaiju named Nozuki, who has large, orange wings and a serpent-like body. Nozuki has never been seen before in any kaiju film and did not make an appearance as one of the many Titans in 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters. However, it's possible Nozuki's origin may be found in 1978's Godzilla animated series.
In the mid-1970s, Hanna-Barbara made the decision to turn the city-destroying, atomic-breathing King of the Monsters into the star of an animated show for children. To help make the monster into a kid-friendly property, producers introduced a new character to accompany Godzilla in its adventures with a groups of scientists: Godzooky. Known as Gozuki in Japan, Godzooky was Godzilla's "nephew." Portrayed as the silly sidekick to the King of Monsters, Godzooky served at the focus of each episode as his small size allowed him to have adventures that consisted of more than demolishing buildings.
For the most part, Godzooky shared a similar appearance to Godzilla, with fins on the back and a snout. On the other hand, this "monster" was a much rounder shape and had child-like features to ensure no kid found him intimidating. Moving away from Godzilla, Godzooky also had wings. However, both his wings and the ability to breathe fire never seemed to work for the little guy.
Given Nozuki's wings and the fact that his head bears a resemblance to the latest version of Godzilla, one could see Nozuki as the new and improved reincarnation of Godzilla's lost nephew.
It should also be noted that Godzilla has had other relatives in the past. In 1967, Son of Godzilla introduced Minilla as the son of the legendary monster. This version was also smaller and made occasional appearances in the continuing battle against such creatures as King Ghidorah. Godzilla: The Series, which followed the Roland Emmerich film, showed the child of Godzilla as an ally to the Matthew Broderick character.
Given that it's unlikely Legendary would allow either Kong or Godzilla to kill the other, Nozuki will most likely serve as a threat to both monsters, and not a lovable sidekick.
Directed by Adam Wingard, Godzilla vs. Kong stars Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry. The film arrives in theaters Nov. 20.