My Biggest Concern For The Godzilla x Kong Sequel

Summary

• Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire outperformed its predecessors, setting the stage for a highly-anticipated sequel in the Monsterverse.
• Concerns about Adam Wingard’s exit from the franchise raise questions about the direction of the next Godzilla-focused movie.
• Toho’s Godzilla films prove that emotionally resonant stories featuring Godzilla are possible, even without sidelining the iconic monster.

Although I certainly loved Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, I have concerns about what the next Monsterverse movie will bring. Considering how invested I’ve been in the Monsterverse and the lackluster numbers brought in by Godzilla: King of the Monsters, there’s been good reasons to suspect that a mediocre box office haul from a second Godzilla or Kong movie could doom the franchise. Fortunately, that’s not happened; Godzilla vs. Kong’s box office performance helped convince me that the Monsterverse wasn’t going anywhere just yet, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was an even better sign for its future.

Godzilla: x Kong: The New Empire surpassed 2014’s Godzilla to become the second highest-grossing movie in the Monsterverse, putting it right behind Kong: Skull Island. Based on that, it’s hardly a surprise that a writer has already been hired to pen the Godzilla x Kong sequel. Clearly, another Monsterverse movie is indeed happening, and given what was teased about the sequel’s story, I immediately developed huge expectations for it. But now, news of Adam Wingard’s exit from the Monsterverse has me wondering whether the next movie will still be what I was looking forward to after Godzilla x Kong.

Adam Wingard’s Godzilla x Kong Sequel Was Going To Fix A Big Complaint About The Last Two Movies

Had Wingard returned, Godzilla vs Kong 3 most certainly would have centered Godzilla

As much as I enjoyed both Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, I finished my first viewings of both movies with the same observation: I didn’t think Godzilla had enough to do. Admittedly, seeing him beat Kong helped make up for that, but I couldn’t help but feel that the stories could have been more balanced between the two titular Titans. Granted, I understand why neither movie went in this direction. It’s just easier for the audience to relate to Kong because of the human element of the character, which seems to make him a more attractive choice for the protagonist.

Because of this, I had a hunch going into Godzilla x Kong that like what happened with the previous movie, the King of the Monsters would wind up taking a backseat to Kong. And while this concern turned out to be well-founded, I felt confident that Godzilla x Kong’s inevitable sequel wouldn’t take the same route. After all, Adam Wingard acknowledged the movie giving preference to Kong and explained that if he were to return to the Monsterverse, the sequel would be “the Godzilla version” of what Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire did with Kong.

Ultimately, I’d have been satisfied if their next team-up movie would just give them equal focus, but Wingard’s tease promised something that I would personally appreciate even more. After two Godzilla-Kong movies that heavily favor the King of Skull Island, a third movie that lets Godzilla hog the spotlight feels well-deserved at this point. A movie where Godzilla interacts with other Titans, embarks on his journey into the Monsterverse’s Hollow Earth world, and receives some extensive, human-free sequences certainly sounds like the blueprint for a truly great Monsterverse spectacle.

Godzilla x Kong’s Godzilla-Focused Sequel Is Now In Doubt

It’s unclear if the sequel’s director will be interested in using Wingard’s ideas

Originally, Adam Wingard’s interest in making more Monsterverse movies and the role he’s played in the franchise’s recent success were positive indicators that his ideas for the sequel would eventually become a reality. But with Wingard apparently moving on from the Monsterverse (at least for now) due to other commitments, it’s hard to say what his exit means for the Godzilla x Kong sequel. It’s this development that gives me pause when looking at what’s ahead.

To be clear, my reservations aren’t about the overall quality of the sequel, as I’m sure the Monsterverse has learned enough from Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong to understand what a Monsterverse movie needs to succeed. Chances are, this criteria will be the basis of Legendary’s choice for Wingard’s successor, so another movie that rightfully prioritizes the monster fights over the human characters is all but guaranteed. What’s not guaranteed, though, is that Godzilla will be the star.

Since Kong was the real main character of the two movies that breathed new life into the Monsterverse, it’s not unfeasible that Legendary would seek to replicate that approach, and such a move would be understandable for the studio. And past results from the Monsterverse would perhaps justify that decision. I’ll see the movie regardless of which Titan gets the most screen-time and will probably enjoy it either way, but I would still be disappointed if Wingard’s promise of a “Godzilla version” of Godzilla x Kong never gets fulfilled on the big screen.

Toho’s Movies Are Proof That The Monsterverse Doesn’t Need To Sideline Godzilla

Audiences can relate to Godzilla too

While Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s sequel could easily follow the example of the last two movies by centering Kong for a third time, it’s never been necessary. It’s true that the Monsterverse’s Kong has thus far been a more empathetic character than Godzilla, whose identity as a seemingly unconquerable force can make him more difficult to connect with emotionally. But, as some of Toho’s Godzilla movies – particularly those in the Heisei era – have proven, it’s not impossible to deliver a truly meaningful and emotionally profound Godzilla story.

To see how this can work, look no further than Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II. It was easy for me to sympathize with the larger-than-life King of the Monsters when the human characters make off with his egg, which is revealed to contain Godzilla Junior. Even though Godzilla’s main opponent in the movie, Mechagodzilla, was presented as the defender of humanity, it’s Godzilla who I saw as the real hero of the film – a parent fighting desperately to retrieve his offspring from its captors. Rodan selflessly sacrificing himself to ensure Godzilla’s success only enhanced the emotional impact of the movie’s monster plot.

Toho went a step further in Godzilla vs. Destroyah, which provided a roller coaster of emotions as I watched Godzilla experience his son’s death, use his remaining life essence to revive him, and tragically dissolve after a build-up of nuclear energy. Recently, Wingard used these unforgettable moments in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah as an example of the Godzilla franchise’s potential to produce “emotionally resonant” content. All things considered, if Godzilla vs. Destoroyah and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II can pull this off, there’s no reason Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire’s sequel can’t endeavor to do the same.