The Monsterverse is bringing in some serious Stranger Things energy. Matthew Modine, best known for playing the enigmatic (and let’s be real, probably not even a real doctor) Dr. Brenner, aka “Papa,” in Stranger Things, is the latest actor to join Legendary’s next Godzilla x Kong movie. Reports have emerged today that Modine has officially signed on to the next installment of the Godzilla-King Kong franchise, which is set to start filming in April 2025 in Australia. Modine will reportedly be playing a high-ranking general, though further details about his role are being kept under wraps, because we wouldn’t want to ruin all the fun.

The new film will be directed by Grant Sputore (I Am Mother) from a screenplay by David Callaham (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Mortal Kombat). Plot details are currently more secretive than a Hollow Earth expedition, but Legendary has teased that the story will introduce several new human characters while also bringing back the iconic Titans for a battle against a world-ending threat. As if two giant monsters suplexing each other through the pyramids isn’t threatening enough?!

Modine joins a pretty impressive cast who are already in place, including Kaitlyn Dever, who is about to become your most hated character on TV in The Last of Us; Jack O’Connell, Delroy Lindo and Dan Stevens, who is reprising his role as Trapper, the totally chill kaiju veterinarian with a proclivity for creative dental work.

Modine‘s most recent projects include Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Netflix’s Zero Day, where he stars alongside Robert De Niro, while up next, he will have roles in Amazon’s The Better Sister (opposite Elizabeth Banks and Jessica Biel) and the action thriller The Protector, where he shares the screen with Milla Jovovich.

What’s Next for the Monsterverse?

The untitled sequel to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is the latest in the ever-expanding Monsterverse, which has proven to be a massive success at the box office. The 2024 film, which saw Godzilla and Kong team up against the formidable Skullcrawler-like Titan, Shimo, grossed over $400 million globally and proved that, no matter what’s going on in the world, people will always love seeing gigantic monsters destroying things and punching the living daylights out of other gigantic monsters, while us tiny, insignificant humans run for our lives and pray for them to go away. We can’t wait!

Stay tuned to Collider for the latest news on the MonsterVerse.

via Collider