2025 will mark brand-new territory for the overarching international Godzilla franchise, and that could have big implications forGodzilla X Kong: Supernova, and the Monsterverse as a whole. Ever since the title of the sixth movie in Legendary’s interconnected universe was revealed,theories have flown about the movie’s plotand more specifically, which monsters will be included aside from its two ultra-famous stars. Thus far, the Monsterverse has done an admirable job of blending original Titans with updated versions of Toho’s classic monsters, and naturally hardcore Godzilla fans are speculating whether more familiar kaiju will appear inSupernova.
One popular theory points toSpaceGodzilla entering the Monsterverse, while others point to major shifts in the power structure of the world’s Titan-adjacent agencies. With a year and a half untilSupernovahits theaters, production has already started, and each update has fueled speculation about the movie’s plot. However, one major change in how Godzilla is being handled internationally could reveal important clues about howSupernova’s plot will unfold, specifically as it relates to the movie’s villains.
Both An American And A Japanese Godzilla Movie Will Be In Production At The Same Time
Godzilla X Kong: SupernovaAnd The Sequel ToGodzilla Minus OneAre In Production In Summer 2025
For the first time in Godzilla’s history,there will be an American Godzilla movie being produced at the same time as a Toho Godzilla movie. The teaser footage and title reveal forSupernovain May 2025 also announced that the movie was just beginning production, and indications from Toho are that the direct sequel to the Academy Award-winning dramatic juggernautGodzilla Minus Onewill begin filming by the end of summer 2025. Toho has typically traded off the release years with either the Legendary Monsterverse orthe failed Tristar franchise from 1998.
However, with the box office and critical success of Godzilla Minus One,Toho has decided to move forward with a sequel despite Legendary’s Monsterverse in production at the same time. To be clear, Toho produced the critically acclaimedShin Godzillain 2016, just two years afterGodzillakicked off the Monsterverse, but that movie was a stand-alone film. It appears the starkly different tones of the two franchises have made both parties more willing to overlap despite sharing the atomic lizard as a character. However, that could yield another change to the two studios’ relationship.
Toho May Be Less Likely To Loan Out Its Monsters To Legendary
Toho Has Its Own Highly Successful Franchise Brewing
The secondGodzilla Minus Onemovie, which will be a direct sequel to the events of the first, is rumored to feature another monster for Godzilla to battle.Another movie featuring Godzilla alone can really only be repetitive, and director Takashi Yamazaki has publicly stated his affinity for some of Toho’s classic monsters. In aninterview with Toho Kingdomhe played coy when asked about King Ghidorah or Anguirus as inclusions in aMinus Onesequel. However, if theGodzilla Minus Onefranchise adds other monsters, that could affect which monsters Toho allows Legendary to license for their movies.
Currently,Legendary is permitted to license Toho monsters on a monster-by-monster and movie-by-movie basis. The originalGodzillaandKong: Skull Islandboth featured entirely original monsters as villains before Legendary sprang for Rodan, Mothra, and Ghidorah inGodzilla: King of the Monsters. While they brought Mothra back forGodzilla X Kong: The New Empire, Legendary had an original monster named Phosphera ready to play the peacemaker role in the movie if Legendary was unable to acquire Mothra’s rights again.
With both franchises shooting at the same time, it’s possible that Toho will limit the options for Legendary to keep options open for their own Godzilla movies. While Godzilla’s rogues' gallery is diverse enough thatboth franchises could use classic monsters without any overlap, with competing overall narratives, neither studio may want to engage in the negotiations necessary, and have their own stories limited or waiting for a deal to get done.
What This Means For The Monsterverse
Legendary Could Keep Rolling Out Original Titans
Fortunately for Legendary, they’ve seen great success with their original Titans.Godzilla X Kong: The New Empirewas a massive box office success and relied on dark inverses of their star monsters in the orangutan-like Skar King and the ice dragon Shimo. Skar King’s well-developed personality and Shimo’s tortured, ultra-powerful benevolent Titan were big hits with fans, soLegendary may be perfectly willing to continue their overarching story with original creationswho align with their needs, as opposed to trying to fit already-developed monster characters into the plannedGodzilla X Kong: Supernovanarrative.
