Jared Cohen
The cinematic world is abuzz with Godzilla chatter, thanks to the smashing success of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and the first-ever Academy Award for the series bagged by Godzilla Minus One. Adding to the excitement, Godzilla: Final Wars director Ryuhei Kitamura recently dropped a bombshell: the film was on the brink of featuring a Mechagodzilla redesign by the legendary Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding artist Yoji Shinkawa.
During a chat with Kaiju United on the 20th anniversary of Godzilla: Final Wars, Kitamura—who was handpicked by Metal Gear Solid creator Hideo Kojima to helm the cut scenes in the Gamecube-exclusive Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes—spilled the beans on how he roped in Shinkawa for Godzilla: Final Wars.
“While working on Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes, I approached Kojima-san with a request: could I borrow your brilliant designer? When he asked what for, I revealed my plans for the final Godzilla! His response was an enthusiastic go-ahead. Mr. Shinkawa was the mastermind behind the stunning earth defense force and mutant squad costumes, and the battleship Gotengo. So, there’s a deep connection between Metal Gear Solid and Final Wars, as I worked on them back-to-back.”
When probed about any kaiju for Final Wars that didn’t make the final cut, Shinkawa brought up Mechagodzilla. “Had the Mechagodzilla movies not been made just before me, I would have definitely brought him back. Just imagine a Mechagodzilla redesigned by the Metal Gear Solid designer Yoji Shinkawa!”
As to why Shinkawa didn’t end up redesigning Mechagodzilla, Kitamura explained it was out of respect for the character. “I was keen on it, but I didn’t want to show any disrespect.”
Considering Shinkawa’s impressive track record with the Metal Gear mecha and his work on Zone of the Enders, it would have been fascinating to see his take on Mechagodzilla.
A big shout-out to Time Extension for bringing this to light!
