There’s a lot we already know about the upcoming Godzilla vs. Kong. We know the director, the date, and even some of its competition at the box office. But as much as we do know about the movie, there’s also a lot that we don’t know. Not only that, but there are also many lingering questions about the MonsterVerse in general, since Godzilla: King of the Monsters didn’t do so great at the box office.
But fear not, monster fans, since I’m here to sift through some of the questions and deliver the best answers I can. Because if Godzilla vs. Kong does do well at the box office (despite Pixar’s Soul coming out the exact same weekend - November 20, 2020) then there are a lot of huge possibilities for the future of the MonsterVerse that could potentially make fans very happy. So let’s see what we can find out, shall we?
Will the MonsterVerse Continue After Godzilla vs. Kong?
Here’s the multi-million dollar question. Godzilla vs. Kong is the last movie officially slated for the MonsterVerse, which now includes the 2014 Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. But the question is, will there be any more movies in the MonsterVerse following Godzilla vs. Kong?
Well, possibly, but things aren’t looking so great. Mostly because of diminishing returns. The 2014 Godzilla made a healthy $527 million worldwide against its $160 million budget, making it a hit. Likewise with Kong: Skull Island, which cost $185 million, but made over $566.7 million worldwide. But Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which cost $170 million, only made $386.6 million worldwide. A minor hiccup? Maybe. But with King of the Monsters including fan favorites like Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah, one would think that this would be the biggest movie yet in the MonsterVerse, but instead, it performed the weakest. So that means that Godzilla vs. Kong really has to step it up at the box office if there are going to be more movies in the series.
Will Other Monsters Get Solo Movies?
This really goes to my last point, as it all depends on Godzilla vs. Kong’s box office performance. But you can’t fault Legendary Pictures for trying. Godzilla: King of the Monsters featured many different titans, with some of them seen at the end bowing to Godzilla. King of the Monsters also featured popular monsters like Mothra and Rodan, who’ve had solo movies of their own back in the '50s and '60s. One would think that Legendary would love to give these other titans the spotlight.
And they still might. The Mothra twin sisters were teased in King of the Monsters, and Rodan didn’t die in that movie, so there’s always the chance that he might show up again in his own picture. Plus, there will probably be a second Kong movie if Godzilla vs. Kong does well. But a Mothra or a Rodan movie probably wouldn't be too far off, either. They’ve already been set up as it is.
Who Will Win the Godzilla Vs. Kong Fight, and What Might That Mean For the Future of the Franchise?
Godzilla vs. Kong’s director, Adam Wingard, says that he wants there to be a victor in his movie, which is good news for fans of the 1962 movie, King Kong vs. Godzilla, because neither behemoth won in that film.
But what could the victor of this movie mean for the future of the franchise? Well, as I said in the last entry, if this movie is successful, then there will likely be a Kong 2. And since Godzilla has already gotten two movies, my prediction is that Kong will “win” in this film. What a win will actually look like is debatable, bit my bet is on the King, which would potentially lead into a Kong sequel.
Will We Actually See Mechagodzilla?
And then there’s the possibility that Mechagodzilla could be in this movie! The inspiration for this theory is from newspaper clippings at the end credits of Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Some of the clippings reveal a lead-up to Godzilla vs. Kong, with a few of them mentioning how the titans themselves may be coming from Skull Island, which would technically make King Kong the king of the titans. But the most interesting clipping comes from one with the headline, “Monarch Boosts Forces Around Skull Island”, since it mentions a “mechanized giant.” Monarch, if you don’t remember, is the organization behind keeping the titans in check.
This would be awesome, since Mechagodzilla’s only American appearance, believe it or not, is in the movie, Ready Player One. Could the people at Monarch wage war against the two titans in a giant mech? Signs are certainly pointing in that direction.
Is a Pacific Rim Crossover Still Possibly in the Cards?
This is a crazy idea, but prior to the release of Pacific Rim: Uprising, the film’s director, Steven S. DeKnight, teased that a Pacific Rim/Godzilla crossover was a possibility. Could that be the “mechanized giant” that is being referred to rather than Mechagodzilla?
That would be pretty badass, but unlikely. Unfortunately, Pacific Rim: Uprising didn’t do as well as originally hoped. If you didn’t know, the original Pacific Rim did okay in the U.S., and surprisingly well in China. But with Uprising not doing as well as anticipated, it kind of squelched the likelihood of the Pacific Rim brand continuing on the big screen (though, we are getting a Netflix anime). Still, if Godzilla vs. Kong does well, maybe it might reinvigorate the idea of a crossover. It's still too early to say.
Will the Next Toho Godzilla Movies Consider the American Godzilla Movies as Canon?
And finally, what might be the most interesting question is where these American Godzilla movies will stand with the Toho Godzilla movies. In an interview with the Japanese publication, Nikkei Style (via Bloody Disgusting), Toho’s Chief Godzilla officer, Keiji Ota, revealed back in 2018 that after the deal with Warner Bros. expires in 2021, Toho plans to create their own Godzilla “shared universe”. This would include all the famous monsters like Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah found in King of the Monsters, and possibly other fan favorites like Gigan, Destoroyah, and Biollante.
The question is, will Toho consider the American Godzilla films as canon, or will they just ignore them altogether? Well, believe it or not, but the Godzilla featured in Roland Emmerich’s 1998 Godzilla movie was actually repurposed in the Toho produced Godzilla: Final Wars and just called Zilla. If Toho isn’t pleased by the results of Godzilla vs. Kong, you might see the American Godzilla in a future Toho movie, getting knocked around by the Japanese Godzilla.
And those are my questions. Do you have any questions of your own? Leave them below in the comments.
