Pacific Rim’s sequel has officially begun production in Sydney, Australia as of today. The sequel is entitled Pacific Rim: Maelstrom according to director Steven DeKnight, who has confirmed it with a photo of a clapboard for the movie via Twitter. Little is known about the plot of the movie, or the characters that will be introduced. However, we do know that Cailee Spaeny, Jing Tian, Levi Meaden, and Ivanna Sakhno have all been cast, but their roles haven’t been announced yet.
The release date for Pacific Rim: Maelstrom is slated for February 23rd 2018. So, naturally we have a pretty big window of time to kill, so let’s make some predictions based on what we’ve seen in the first movie. The original Pacific Rim brought us kaijus, Jaegars, and amazing action scenes, so let’s hope Pacific Rim: Maelstrom amps it up to surpass its predecessor.
Stronger Kaijus Than Category 5, Or A New Enemy Altogether?
Kaijus are now an even bigger threat, considering they are actually bioweapons created by extraterrestrial life to wipe out humanity and invade Earth. This can’t be all these aliens got. Stronger Kaiju than what the Jaegar pilots have seen are certain to be on their way. The Breach had been sealed at the end of the first film when the Gipsy Danger’s reactor core explodes, killing the aliens and sealing the breach.
However, the fix might not be as permanent as Earth thinks. It could still be reopened, letting even stronger Kaiju through, or perhaps a new type of creature that is stronger than a kaiju that will emerge. The Precursors, the species that were so hell-bent on humanity’s destruction are certainly not going to give up so easily. If they want Earth’s resources so badly, they’re not going down to back off so easily, they’ll just hit harder on their next attempt.
The Jaegars Will Have to Adapt to Suit the New Threat
It’s no surprise that the Jaegars of the first film won’t remain unchanged. The question is, how? Of course the innovations will improve things like performance, durability, power, and versatility in battle. These new Jaegars will need to adapt in order to defeat whatever enemy humanity is confronted with. New weaponry may also be incorporated, as each Jaegar featured in the film has a special ability or tactic that sets it apart from the rest. For example, the iconic Jaegar Gipsy Danger can dump much of its coolant into an improvised weapon and has a rocked in its right elbow for increased punching power.
The pilot system may also change. “drifting” will likely still remain, but perhaps they will make it so the copilot system will no longer be needed. The mental link of two people is needed to share the stress of piloting the machine. Hey, they did it in Evangelion, so perhaps Pacific Rim: Maelstrom will incorporate the idea of single-pilot combat. Though it was dangerous in the first film and could cause the death of the pilots, mechanics could have improved to make things safer.
The Next Breach Will Be On Land
It would certainly be cool to see some Kaiju rise from a fissure in the Earth. The idea might be a bit far-fetched, but there are probably some ways the Precursors could have put Kaiju into hibernation deep within the Earth, or will open up another Breach altogether. We have seen how versatile Kaiju are, they don’t need much in terms of a forgiving environment to stay alive. So, it’s possible they could withstand the high temperatures of the Earth’s core and be in hibernation right underneath.
Kaiju are already drawn to large cities, and having them right under one would certainly help the action right along. Or, perhaps it could be a human-created breach, where humans have replicated their own strand of Kaiju via cloning in order to learn how the creatures grow, adapt, and survive. They do have that brain fragment from the Baby Kaiju, after all. And…Kaiju breaking out of an underground research facility could easily be just as incredible to watch.
The Precursors Will Return, But How Far Will They Get?
The Precursors have tried and failed to colonize Earth several times. Their first attempt was during the Triassic Period, and then, due to the pollution on the Earth, the Precursors were able to actually survive and colonize the planet and leave humanity with a parting gift, The Kaiju. The Kaiju were bioweapons meant to exterminate humans, so maybe they’ll come up with a Plan B that’s even more destructive.
It’s likely that the Earth has since cleaned up its act as far as pollution is concerned, so that won’t be a factor that leads to letting the Precursors in again. Earth’s defenses may be pretty lax after the destruction of the last Breach and the elimination of the Kaiju threat, so there are some possibilities that this dangerous extraterrestrial race may be able to worm their way in once more. Kaiju blood, after all, contaminates the immediate environment and makes it uninhabitable.
More About Kaiju Origins/Creation Will Be Revealed
We already know a great deal about why the Kaiju were created, as bioweapons to destroy the human race. Yep, that part is pretty straightforward. What we are most curious about is how they were created. After all, Kaiju by nature come in all different strengths, types, and sizes. They were created through some type of genetic engineering by the Precursors, and each is unique.
Kaiju can adapt on land or water and can survive in extreme environments as well and can make use of their anatomy on a tactical level. What will probably be expanded upon is the Kaiju being built by fusing the sinew of body parts from other Kaiju creations together. However that still doesn’t explain where the very first Kaiju came from. In addition, their hive mind will also likely be delved into more, as we learned Kaiju can also Drift with the Pons in the first film.
