One Of Godzilla Vs Kong's Best Shots Almost Ended Up On The Cutting Room Floor

"Godzilla vs. Kong" may not be the most thought-provoking effort featuring the titular monsters, but the film more than delivers on its promised mayhem. The breathtaking battles between Godzilla and Kong elevate kaiju fighting to another level in the cinematic space. Directed by Adam Wingard, the filmmaker uses his horror genre prowess to shape the intense, jaw-dropping fights that pit the two pop culture juggernauts against each other. On top of answering the age-old question to satisfy monster lovers across the world, "Godzilla vs. Kong" brings the goods with the action.

However, one particular shot that features the film's most recognizable frame almost didn't make the cut. The image that has been cemented as the defining moment in the film comes around the halfway point in the story, when Kong battles Godzilla for the first time on a U.S. Navy ship. While the mega-sized lizard ended up besting the gorilla in that particular fight, the moment that sticks out is when Kong lands a powerful punch on his newfound foe. According to the director, the shot that captures the moment nearly got cut in the development process.

In an interview with RogerEbert.com, Wingard revealed just how close the filmmakers were to removing a pivotal moment in one of the film's biggest battles. During pre-production, veteran VFX supervisor John "DJ" Des Jardin presented Wingard and fellow producers with a slate of unfinished shots, featuring the now-famous brawl between the monsters on the ship. Shockingly, their initial reactions questioned if the epic wide shot of Kong punching Godzilla was necessary:

"They only had a couple shots, and one of them was a rudimentary animation of Godzilla getting punched in the face by Kong on an aircraft carrier, in a wide shot. One of the producers looked at it and said, 'We always have this shot in the movies, this wide shot. Do we need this?' They've seen it and done it, they've been there, they've done all these movies, and they're over it. You've got to really impress them, which is a good thing, from my perspective."

Thankfully, Des Jardin insisted to the group that "you guys are going to want this shot. Trust me." Not only is the wide shot a needed companion piece to the exciting sequence, but it was the very first official image released of the film. The jaw-dropping visual is plastered all over the posters and trailers, and even Wingard admits that it may be the "main moment of the film."

With a sequel on the way, Wingard and company will hopefully continue to think twice before removing the heart of their coveted monster brawls.