Godzilla Vs. Kong's Demián Bichir Reveals His Pick For The Movie's Winner - Exclusive
The history of genre cinema is dotted with matchups, face-offs, and titanic tilts that get fans debating over which character they know and love reigns supreme. Whether it's comics heroes Batman and Superman, horror titans Freddy and Jason, or legendary creatures Sharktopus and Whalewolf, there's been no shortage of showdowns to bring to life the battles we've been envisioning in our heads since we were kids.
Now, another such effort looms in 2021, as Warner Bros. gets set to deliver Godzilla vs. Kong. One's an atomically fueled, gargantuan lizard who was recently crowned king of the monsters in 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The other is everyone's favorite great ape, last seen in 2017's Kong: Skull Island. The new film brings the two together to — if the trailer is any indication — battle it out on top of an aircraft carrier, and perform other complete defiances of the laws of physics. (Kong, at one point, apparently wields a giant battle axe. It looks bonkers.)
From the moment Godzilla vs. Kong was announced, the debate as to who would emerge victorious between the two movie monsters began to rage. Some pointed out that it might seem preposterous for a giant ape with no other supernatural abilities to win against the atomic-fire-breathing behemoth that just took down the nightmare that was King Ghidorah. Others told that first group to shut up, because Kong rules, okay?
We'll know the answer to this question of questions when the movie arrives on March 26, but in the meantime, Looper tapped one of its stars to get an early opinion. That star is Demián Bichir, who can currently be seen in Robin Wright's directorial debut — the intimate, character-driven drama Land.
Chatting to Bichir, who plays the as-of-now mysterious Walter Simmons in Godzilla vs. Kong, in an exclusive interview, Looper asked for his take on who'd deliver the most epic cryptid butt-kicking. The choice, he felt, was clear.
Demián Bichir goes ape for Kong
For Bichir, there can be only one victor in a throw-down between Godzilla and King Kong, and that's the primetime primate whose appearance on screens in 1933 inspired generations of monster movie filmmakers. "I'm a Kong man, man," Bichir enthused. "I'm a Kong man."
But while Bichir's pick is clear, his reasoning might not be what you think — having more to do with Kong's sensitive nature than his ability to slice and dice with a giant battle axe. (Seriously, it just raises so many questions.)
"To me, King Kong — although they're both difficult to believe exist — is a lot more like me," said Bichir. "I identify with that guy, because he is more like us humans, and he is also very sensitive. He's raw and fantastic."
Whether or not you agree with Bichir's choice, the actor believes everyone will be blown away by the visual effects that bring King Kong to life, comparing them favorably to previous revolutionary takes on the ape in question.
"The work they do in that film — I mean, in all the films, [including the one] that Naomi Watts did a few years back. That's where we saw this beautiful thing for the first time, really, and it was so real," Bichir told Looper. "What they do nowadays with technology, my goodness. It's overwhelming. I saw the film and it thought, 'This cannot be happening. This is the real thing.' It's very impressive to watch."
We'll find out if Bichir chose wisely when Godzilla vs. Kong hits theaters and HBO Max on March 26. Land is now playing in select theaters.