After 2021’s release godzilla vs. Kong, the future of Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse franchise remained uncertain for a while. But it was recently confirmed that director Adam Wingard will return to helm the film’s sequel, which is currently slated for a March 2024 release.
In the upcoming film, returning actors Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry will be joined by newcomer Dan Stevens of Downton Abbey and Legion fame. Details about the story are scarce for now, but the synopsis confirms that the sequel will not only explore the history of the Titans, but also that Godzilla and Kong will team up against a new monstrous enemy. While the identity of this mysterious new enemy is still unknown, here are a few iconic Kaiju from the godzilla franchise that could very well make their MonsterVerse debut soon.
Destoroyah is a unique presence in the godzilla franchisee. Despite being one of the most well-known and beloved monsters in the series among fans, it has only appeared in one movie. Debuts in 1995 godzilla vs. Destoroyah, this Kaiju has the honor of being the only monster to not only defeat Godzilla, but also kill him permanently – at least in one continuity. Like Godzilla himself, Destoroyah is a prehistoric creature mutated by human weapons. But while Godzilla was a reptile powered by nuclear radiation, Destoroyah is a crustacean mutated by the Oxygen Destroyer: the weapon used to kill Godzilla in the original 1954 film.
The original godzilla treats the Oxygen Destroyer with an appropriate amount of gravitas, with creator Dr. Serizawa fears the horrors the global superpowers could carry out with such a weapon if it fell into their hands. As such, it’s starkly poetic that, like the atomic bomb tests Godzilla created, using the Oxygen Destroyer ultimately creates an even more dangerous creature. Equally fitting is the fact that Destoroyah, the living embodiment of the weapon that killed the first Godzilla, is the one who kills his successor. The cruel and bloodthirsty Destoroyah is a near-demon creature who, true to his name, exists only to bring destruction.
Despite only making one film appearance, Destoroyah remains a fan favorite for its striking design, vicious personality, close ties to the series’ lore, and prestigious status as the only Kaiju to ever successfully kill Godzilla. As such, he makes perfect sense to appear in the MonsterVerse as an enemy powerful enough to reunite Godzilla and Kong. In addition, the Oxygen Destroyer was already used to nearly kill Godzilla in 2019 Godzilla: King of the Monsters, which provides the perfect setup for the look of Destoroyah. Since Mechagodzilla in the first godzilla vs. Kong was also due to the effects of King of the Monstersit would be fitting if the same goes for the villain from the second film.
Another fan favorite with only one previous film appearance, Biollante was Godzilla’s first Heisei-era kaiju rival in 1989’s godzilla vs. Biollante. Created by a scientist eager to bring his dead daughter back to life, Biollante is a whimsical hybrid of human, plant, and Godzilla DNA. Like her female co-kaiju Mothra, Biollante is not evil despite her enormous destructive power. She may look sinister, but she’s the good man here, trying to protect humanity from Godzilla’s wrath because of her own human origin.
Despite her heroic origins, adaptations such as video games or comics sometimes portray Biollante as an antagonistic force, like most of Godzilla’s other enemies. It’s likely that a MonsterVerse incarnation of Biollante would give her a simplified origin, simply making her a plant-based Titan rather than a plant-human-Godzilla hybrid. And if she ends up appearing as an antagonist, she could very well take on a more villainous personality – though it’s also possible she could appear as an ally to Godzilla instead.
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The scythe-handed sadist Gigan is unusual among the gallery of Godzilla’s villains. Although he is one of the most prominent enemies of the King of the Monsters, he always seems to play second fiddle to another Kaiju.
Even in his debut film, the aptly named godzilla vs. Gigantic from 1972, he teams up with Godzilla’s nemesis King Ghidorah as part of an alien invasion. And while Ghidorah is dead in the MonsterVerse — for now, anyway — it’s possible Gigan could appear as the right-hand monster for the film’s main antagonist. After all, with Godzilla and Kong working together, it might take more than one kaiju to give them a challenge.
Speaking of Gigan, a special mention must be made for his 1973s partner in crime godzilla vs. Megalon. This drill-armed insectoid is worshiped as a god by the underground civilization of Seatopia, but despite his deified status, he doesn’t appear to be too smart – his personality resembles a troublemaker more than a vengeful god.
Megalon is loved less by fans for his own merits and more for the campy, comedic nature of his debut film, which was immortalized in a famous episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. He’s the perfect kind of monster who could appear as a minor antagonist, much to the delight of all fans who recognize the bumbling bug man.
Anguirus has a special place in the godzilla franchise as the very first Kaiju rival to the King of the Monsters, making its debut in 1955 Godzilla raids again. But when he reappeared in 1968 Destroy all monstersAnguirus was forever cemented as Godzilla’s closest ally, who bravely fought alongside him against the likes of King Ghidorah, Gigan, and Mechagodzilla.
It’s a much-cited fan theory that Anguirus’s skeleton is visible in one shot of King of the Monsters, but this has never been officially confirmed. As such, it’s still possible that Godzilla’s most steadfast friend will soon appear in the MonsterVerse.
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