With Godzilla Vs. Kong coming out right around the corner, on March 25, you know that we’re excited as all get out for the next (and hopefully not final) entry in the MonsterVerse saga.
But what about that saga? We’ve now had three movies so far, with Godzilla (2014), Kong: Skull Island, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters. And, with Godzilla Vs. Kong, that makes four. So, it seems like Legendary Pictures definitely wants to continue with the MonsterVerse, and Godzilla Vs. Kong might just be that springboard into the next movie if it’s successful. But there’s a lot to cover within the MonsterVerse even though there have only been three movies thus far. So, I’m here to get your up to speed before the next epic battle begins. Let them fight!
Godzilla Is More Of A Hero Than A Villain In The MonsterVerse
One might argue that the Godzilla in the MonsterVerse is more of an anti-hero than a hero since he fights for the planet rather than for people themselves. Whatever. The point is, this is not like the original, 1954 Godzilla that actively looked to destroy Tokyo, or like Shin Godzilla. Instead, we get a Godzilla that people in this universe seem to rely on to fight other big monsters. In other words, he’s like a really big savior that can fall into skyscrapers and shoot atomic breath.
First designated as a M.U.T.O (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism) in the Godzilla: Awakening comic that acts a prequel to the 2014 film, Godzilla (or “Gojira” as Ken Watanabe’s character, Ishiro Serizawa, called him) got his name from the Pacific Islanders who saw him first. He is first seen as a threat because he’s so destructive. But, toward the end of the first movie, Godzilla defeats the other M.U.T.O., and the people are actually happy for Godzilla, which is kind of weird, but okay. I guess it’s like the 1960s Godzilla that was definitely a hero-type, so I suppose there’s a precedent for a Godzilla that people actually care for.
King Kong Has Been Growing Bigger And Bigger Since The 1970s
Fans of King Kong will tell you that he’s big, but he’s not that big. He scaled the Empire State Building, sure, but Godzilla could walk THROUGH the Empire State Building if he wanted to. So, what gives? You saw the trailer, and I’m sure you saw Kong: Skull Island, where Kong was large, but not Godzilla large. So, what’s going on here?
Well, remember that Kong: Skull Island takes place in 1973, and it was mentioned in the film that King Kong was only an adolescent and that he was still growing. So, yeah. If you just thought Kong: Skull Island was a period piece so that they would have an opportunity to shove in some Creedence Clearwater Revival music, well…you’re not wrong. But, it was also to set up this epic battle where King Kong will now be the same size as freaking Godzilla!
Mid-Credit Scenes Show That King Kong (Or At Least, An Ancestor Of King Kong) Already Fought Godzilla In Ancient Times
Ah, the mid and post-credit scenes. Mastered by the MCU, the potential of a possible post-credit scene means that even if you have to go to the bathroom, you better hold it just in case there’s a lead-in to the next movie. And Godzilla: King of the Monsters doesn’t disappoint.
As a new rendition of Blue Oyster Cult’s “Godzilla” blasts through the speakers, we see a number of clips about Monarch, and the Hollow Earth, and other monsters. And then, we see a cave drawing of King Kong fighting Godzilla. WHAT THE HELL? I thought King Kong was in the '70s. How is he on a cave drawing? Well, it’s never really spelled out, but I guess we could theorize that the battle between Kong and Godzilla has already occurred at least once, and it was probably Kong’s ancestor who fought Godzilla. Not our Kong. Whether it was the Godzilla in the MonsterVerse or Godzilla’s ancestor, we don’t know. But this one clip aligns with my Primal Rage fan fiction, so I’m not complaining.
The Secret Organization, Monarch, Goes All The Way Back To The ‘40s In This Universe
I’ll be honest. I’m not the biggest fan of the MonsterVerse since I’m not in love with this version of Godzilla. However, I really do love the lore that the MonsterVerse has created, most notably with the secret organization, Monarch, which, in this universe, was formed in 1946. Monarch is a multi-government group that goes out to track and study giant monsters. As such, they’re the linchpin that holds all of these narrative threads together.
We learn about them in the Godzilla Awakening comic with a creature named Shinomura. This was also the first sighting of Gojira in 1954 by Ishiro’s father, Serizawa. Then, we get Monarch exploring Skull Island in the '70s, followed by an event in 1999, which is where we see the caved-in mine scene. Then, finally, the events of 2014. Honestly, it’s really cool how much thought went into the MonsterVerse, so I hope it continues just for that reason alone.
There Are 17 Titans In The MonsterVerse (That We Know Of)
As stated earlier, there are only three current movies in the MonsterVerse, but there are a whopping 17 titans in the MonsterVerse, THAT WE KNOW OF. Some of them are mentioned in the mid-credits newspaper articles, while others were seen bowing down to Godzilla at the end of King of the Monsters. And, many of them we’ll probably never see again.
The ones that are obvious are Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, King Kong, King Ghidorah, and the 3 M.U.T.O.’s (two in 2014's Godzilla, one in King of the Monsters). Then, you have that giant woolly mammoth called Behemoth, a huge spider called Scylla, and a sort of rock monster called Methuselah. We then see some other names like Abaddon and Sargon in the newspaper clips, and, with those names and a few more, the number comes to 17. So, again, the lore is sick.
King Ghidorah Is From Space
Lastly, not all of the Titans are from Earth, as we learned in Godzilla: King of the Monsters that King Ghidorah is an extraterrestrial that “fell from the stars.” The Oxygen Destroyer didn’t do much damage to him, and he’s the most powerful Titan there is. Well, save for Godzilla, of course.
It makes sense that he’s an alien, though, since King Ghidorah originated as an alien. Originally dubbed Monster Zero, King Ghidorah made his first appearance in a movie called Invasion of Astro-Monster in 1965, so, yep. King Ghidorah = Alien.
Now, those are just a few of the facts about the MonsterVerse that you should carry into Godzilla Vs. Kong. What do you think, though? Do you love the MonsterVerse or could you do without it? Sound off in the poll below!
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