Newton Geiszler


 * NOTE: This article is only about Dr. Geiszler's villainous role in Pacific Rim: Uprising, not from the original film where he was a supporting character.

"Herman: What did you just do? Dr Geiszler: What I've been planning the last 10 years. I'm ending the world."

- Geiszler revealing his true nature.

Dr. Newton Geiszler is a supporting protagonist in the 2013 American science fiction action film Pacific Rim, and later the hidden main antagonist in the 2018 blockbuster sequel, Pacific Rim: Uprising.

He is the former scientist of K-Science Lab during the first Human-Kaiju war and later scientist of Shao Corporation.

He is portrayed by Charlie Day.

Return
Years after the Kaiju war, Geiszler left the defense body Jaeger to join the private robot company Shao Corporation as a scientist for Jaegers Autonomous project. During this period, multiple drifting on Kaiju brains several years ago to understand about the Precursors' homeworld and nature somehow corrupted his mind and he began to see them as gods. Subsequently, he enacted a plan to bring the Kaiju back to Earth to cleanse the planet for his gods. He managed to trick the CEO of Shao Corporation, Liwen Shao, into creating an army of Kaiju-Jaeger hybrid drones to cripple all Jaegers and the PPDF; meanwhile, he has a Kaiju brain with which he holds communications with the Precursors.

"Alice"
It should be noted that Newton mentions a woman named Alice to Hermann, inviting him to come have dinner with the two of them. Hermann declines, insistent on discussing more important matters. Later, however, we learn what Alice truly is: the kaiju brain that Newt first drifted with in the previous film. He has her in his apartment hooked to a home-drift setup, and it's insinuated that he drifts with it on the regular. Also, it seems.... uh.... sexual. The way he drifts with the brain is shown to be like intercourse or an addictive drug. Despite being played for laughs, this scene shows how the Precursors maintain control over Newt.

True Plans Exposed
During the attack of Jaeger-Kaiju hybrids to the main base, Dr. Hermann Gottlieb and Newton arrive at Shao Corporation. Hermann tells him that he believes that Liwen Shao is the traitor who was using Kaiju brains to infect the self-employed Jaegers; Newton tells him that he has a way of turning it off that she did not know about. Hermann falls more in love as Newt shows a glimmer of his previous sense of mischief and "screw-authority" style. Then it goes to hell. By activating his backup plan, Newt has only sped up the process of which the world will be destroyed. Gottlieb questions him, soon learning that Newt is not Newt.

For years, Newt had planned to destroy the planet Earth to make way for the Precursors and managed to hack the autonomous system of the Jaegers to get them out of control and destroy everything in their path. Newton, who in turn is controlled by the Precursors through the corruption of his mind, takes Hermann by the neck, ready to kill him, telling him that no one will prevent his plan. Then, for a soft moment, he pleads with Hermann and apologizes for what he's done; "I'm sorry, Hermann--they're in my head." All while maintaining a vice grip.

Just then, Liwen arrives with a gun and confronts Newt about his traitorous plans. "Newt" reveals that he has been secretly planning this for the last ten years and suggests that he's always the smartest person in the room or whatever, so Liwen tries to shoot him. Hermann stops her by shouting that it's not Newt, it's the Precursors. Newt's mind has been infected, and he is not in control of his actions anymore. Doctor Geiszler scurries out of the room, unseen until the final battle.

Final Battle using the Mega-Kaiju
Geiszler arrives in Tokyo to use the different Kaiju that managed to cross the portal during the attack of the Jaeger-Kaiju hybrids to use them on Mount Fuji, which contained rare elements of the earth, thereby destroying it and destroying the atmosphere, terraforming the earth and giving way to the Precursors.

Geiszler releases some drones which he uses to unite each Kaiju in order to form a Mega-Kaiju. The newly created Mega-Kaiju fights the Jaegers and destroys three of them, leaving only Gipsy Avenger. Gipsy ultimately defeats the Mega-Kaiju by launching from the sky and ramming into it, cutting it in half. Geiszler sees with impotence what happens and turns around, at which point Nate Lambert promptly gives him a hit, knocking him out. Newton Geiszler is locked in a prison, saying that it will not be the last attack and that more Kaiju will come through the portal to wipe out humanity. However, Jake Pentecost tells him that this time they will take the fight directly to the home universe of the Precursors.

Trivia

 * This was Charlie Day's first villain role.
 * Day confirmed multiple times that Geiszler is portrayed to be in love with Hermann Gottlieb.