For as long as I can remember, I have loved monsters. I remember watching Godzilla (1998) on TV and completely falling in love with the title creature, even if later I learned that he wasn’t quite as majestic as he should have been.
For some time, western monster fans were starving, having to satisfy their appetite with the occasional King Kong (2005) and Cloverfield (2008). Then the spark that would light the Kaiju Renaissance (as giant monster fans have come to call our current era) released: Academy Award winner Guillermo Del Toro’s Pacific Rim (2013), one of my favorite films of all time.
It paved the way to several more of its genre, like its very own sequel Pacific Rim Uprising (2018), Colossal (2017), Rampage (2018), and of course, the MonsterVerse.
This Cinematic Universe, originated by Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla (2014) is, without a doubt, one of the most fun that is currently running. However, unfortunately, it might come to an end soon.
Following the modest hit Kong: Skull Island (2017), by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the MonsterVerse saw the first ever American-made sequel to a Godzilla film, Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019). But unlike its predecessors, it was both a critical and financial disappointment.
So why should a franchise that is seemingly running out of steam go on? Well, here are a few reasons.
It Seems to Learn with its Mistakes
One of the biggest complaints towards Godzilla (2014) was the lack of the title beast, and monster fights overall. Audiences also complained about how visually dark the film was. Both issues were addressed in the following installments, which added day-time monster mashes, and more focus and screentime on them.
The biggest complaint right now are the human characters, but I believe that in time, this issue will be fixed as well.
Audiences Love It
Even though the latest installment in the franchise was a disappointment in some aspects, it is worth remembering that the previous ones were well received by critics and audiences alike.
And despite its box office and critical failure, King of the Monsters still managed to win over several fans and audiences in general, with its incredible action sequences and great VFX work.
As someone who deeply enjoyed the film myself, I believe that the poor revenue can be blamed mostly on some nearby competition that the film had to face, such as John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and Aladdin, and the box office titan Avengers: Endgame, who was still throwing some punches at the time.
A World Worth Exploring
With only three films, and three comic books as companion pieces, the MonsterVerse has shown that it has an incredible world. A rich world full of whole new monsters for the center of it all, the crypto-zoological agency Monarch, to explore.
Not to mention the presence of classic Kaiju such as Mothra, Rodan, Ghidorah, and potentially more. With 35 Godzilla films and countless other classic Kaiju-filled adventures, this franchise has tons more to explore.
How about expanding on King of the Monsters’ environmental message using Biollante? Maybe a period piece set in Ancient Asia with Mothra and her evil doppelganger, Battra? Or perhaps a film with several horror sequences about the small, crustacean-like forms of the evil Destoroyah?
We could also see a crossover with Legendary’s other giant monster franchise, Pacific Rim, since those films have already introduced the idea of the Multiverse through the Interdimensional Aliens from the Anteverse, the world conquering Precursors.
And why stop there? Why not have crossovers with other classic Kaiju franchises such as Gamera or Ultraman, if they ever manage to get the rights. Or maybe dig up The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953), Them! (1954), and others from Warner Bros.’ own shelves. The possibilities are endless.
Or heck, maybe even Vogt-Roberts’ proposed joke of an idea of a Godzilla vs Hedorah short film.
Just like producer Alex Garcia alluded (https://www.tohokingdom.com/blog/visiting-the-set-of-godzilla-king-of-the-monsters/), the MonsterVerse’s future depends on the success of the next installment. So if it turns out to be as crazy and fun as promised, don’t forget to show your support for it, because it’d be a shame to lose this world of huge, Kaiju-sized possibilities.
Directed by Adam Wingard, Godzilla vs Kong is in theaters November 20, 2020.
Article by: Kim Film Defender