Our prayers have been answered and it has been revealed that Legendary are indeed entering early talks with Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard to return to direct a sequel to the 2021 blockbuster hit and add another entry to the Monsterverse cinematic franchise! Although the current talk behind-the-scenes suggest a working title of "Son of Kong" is being tossed around at Legendary, this does not mean the next film will necessarily involve or revolve around an offspring of Kong. This could simply be an idea given the current state of Legendary and Toho's affairs. As we know - a deal needs to be re-negotiated between Legendary and Toho if they intend to use anymore Toho monsters (including Godzilla) in any future Monsterverse movies.
Assuming Legendary can secure a new deal with Toho however and actually gain access to a few other iconic Toho monsters, below are the top 3 Monsters I think should be introduced in the Godzilla vs. Kong sequel in order to keep pace with the franchise. After all, it will be no easy task to out-do the battle between Godzilla and Kong and a "Son of Godzilla" style spin-off, but with Kong just smells like doom.
I've also added potential title ideas for the next Godzilla Monsterverse movie below each Monster pick, these are by no means official.
#1 - Biollante
Godzilla 3: Terra of Biollante
Biollante is a prime contender for the Monsterverse - why? Because she is an Earth-dwelling representation of mankind's misuse and abuse of the natural world. Throughout the Monsterverse, the Titans are revered as keepers of the balance within nature. Biollante, represents a tampering of that natural order and thus, a consequential anomaly which could pose as a great narrative for Hollywood's and America's climate change initiative. Much like Godzilla is a representation of mankind's abuse of nuclear power and Mechagodzilla was a representation of the dangers of artificial intelligence.
Biollante would also be a fairly easy Titan to explain with regards to introduction. She could simply be a massive Venus Flytrap Titan inhabiting part of the Hollow Earth and Monarch see potential in using her natural abilities to restore parts of the planet which have been ravaged by climate change? It's merely an idea, but you can see how her inclusion could be well fleshed out and make sense from a relatively realistic standpoint.
#2 - Gigan
Godzilla 3: Invasion of Nebula
A fan favorite among many of us, Gigan was a cyborg Monster, blending alien flesh with alien robotics to create a devastating opponent. Godzilla 2: King of the Monsters introduced and confirmed the existence of alien life in the Monsterverse by way of Ghidorah. So, we know alien Monsters / rival Titans have visited Earth before - who's to say Gigan isn't on his way as well? Perhaps with Ghidorah waking, his calls which rallied the Titans of Earth echoed through the vastness of space, alerting an alien race (cue the Nebulans?) bent on claiming Earth as their own?
Alien and space exploration have been major hot topics in Hollywood as of late, especially with the United States' Pentagon having declassified a number of documents confirming the existence of alien life on Earth. Pair that with our own plans to travel to Mars (thanks Elon Musk) in the not so distant future. Gigan could serve as another Hollywood ploy to engage more debate about the dangers of space travel and the existence of more advanced organisms finding their way to our planet!
Gigan would also pose a great threat to Godzilla, Kong or even Mothra. Not only would the film with Gigan include a battle between two Titans, but Wingard and Legendary could add in an alien invasion component, much like Independence Day, to the plot. This would also serve to provide a better human angle than Godzilla vs. Kong did.
#3 - Destroyah
(Fan artwork created by takamutsu)
Godzilla 3: Destroyer of Worlds
It's very difficult to top Godzilla fighting Ghidorah, Kong and Mechagodzilla. Those are all iconic, top dog rivals to the King of Monsters. But one Kaiju remains the deadliest of them all - Destroyah. The bringer of death and destroyer of worlds, Destroyah is the titular rival to Godzilla of the entire roster. Destroyah has been talked about and teased ever since Godzilla 2: King of the Monsters, fans everywhere have called for this iconic, demonic Monster to be given a proper western introduction since the Monsterverse began and with the next chapter now on the table - now would be a perfect time to take those wishes seriously.
The only downside to including Destroyah in the next Monsterverse film is that he will be the top contender to Godzilla. It will be nearly impossible to compete with the likes of Destroyah after his debut. Sure, they could introduce a Monsterverse Mecha-King Ghidorah, or bring in a new version of Mechagodzilla, but none would compare to the might, ferocity and iconic legacy Destroyah possesses. Including Destroyah would be the final boss fight, so to speak. After which, perhaps Godzilla dies (if the terms with Toho change) and like in the original, Godzilla's son needs to take over. Perhaps Mothra gets involved since Godzilla's son would, ideally, be an adolescent and would not be ready to rule the Earth like its parent did. Or maybe Destroyah puts and end to Godzilla's era entirely and opens the door for new Titans to be conjured up so that when Toho's new deal with Legendary concludes that they could continue to churn out spin-off films with original IP, not being constrained by copyrights and deals with other studios.
There are many directions the next Monsterverse movie can take and many new Monsters / Titans that can be introduced. One thing is for certain - the fans want another movie, Legendary want another movie and talks have already begun behind-the-scenes. Time will tell if any of these Monsters get added to the Monsterverse, in the meantime all we can do is speculate and debate on where the story should go next.
Agree with this list? Have your own ideas? Sound off in the comments and let me know what you think!
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