Godzilla's Monsterverse Completely Explained

Godzilla's Monsterverse Explained

It’s his world… we’re all just living in it. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’ll be taking a closer look at the Godzilla MonsterVerse in order to better understand this series, and what the future holds.

Godzilla has been entertaining the masses by wreaking havoc on the big screen since 1954, when filmmaker Ishirō Honda's unleashed this juggernaut upon the world. Since then, the King of Monsters has become one of the most instantly recognizable pop culture icons in the world, with well over 30 films to his name and counting. He’s also an official cultural ambassador to the Shinjuku Ward of Japan. So yeah… the big guy’s doing alright for himself!


Japanese film production company Toho holds the keys to kingdom when it comes to Godzilla, and the studio has had a very reserved relationship with western production companies. In 1998 TriStar released “Godzilla” directed by Roland Emmerich of Independence Day fame. The film was not well received by critics or audiences, with many classic Godzilla fans outraged that the titular character didn’t resemble Godzilla or carry over any of his characteristics at all.


After the ’98 film; Toho kept Godzilla closer to home in Japan until 2004’s “Godzilla: Final Wars”, after which the property laid dormant for a decade. But it was only a matter of time until another western studio took another crack at a version aimed at American audiences. The 2014 film sparked a revival for all things Godzilla, both in the west and in Japan! But we’re also living in the post-Marvel Cinematic Universe era, and so seemingly every tentpole film is also treated as the launchpad for a potential interconnected movie universe. Many have tried and failed spectacularly but Legendary’s MonsterVerse has fared far better than most. The first two films alone grossed roughly $500 million each, meaning that, even though “Godzilla: King of Monsters” hasn’t saw the same promising returns; the franchise has arguably already proven itself. Besides “Godzilla vs. Kong” is already at the post-production stage so it’s too late to cancel that film.


It should be noted that between the 2014 Godzilla film to now, Toho has also released “Shin Godzilla” in 2016, and an Anime film trilogy on Netflix between 2018 & 2019 starting with “Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters”. Though they all star Godzilla, the 4 films do not share any continuity with the MonsterVerse.

With all that being said, let’s dive in. After a lengthy development phase, this cinematic universe kicked off with 2014’s “Godzilla” directed by Gareth Edwards, which introduced us to the most recent incarnation of the creature. Distinguishing itself from Godzillas past, this iteration dwarfs most of his predecessors. Standing at approximately 355 feet tall, with a tail measuring 550 feet in length, this version of Godzilla truly lives up to his title, “King of Monsters”. In terms of his nature, Legendary’s Godzilla, like a more conventional animal, seems disinterested in acts of wanton destruction. He’s described as being more of a territorial creature -one that simply views the entirety of Earth as its own. Godzilla’s not interested in tearing down cities or chomping on battleships, but if they’re in his way or antagonize him… yeah, you might be in trouble.


Our first well-documented encounter with Godzilla occurs in 1954, when after a submarine allegedly woke the creature from its eons-long slumber (accounts vary), an attempt was made by the American military to kill Godzilla at Bikini Atoll using an atomic bomb. Though Godzilla disappeared following the attack, and the masses remained blissfully unaware of his existence, our place in Earth’s pecking order had been fundamentally altered in the minds of those involved. Mankind’s first instinct was to kill Godzilla, and that was a major mistake - one that thankfully failed. Because as the events of the 2014 film revealed, “Godzilla” needn’t be seen as a threat. Yes, the creature is a force of destruction, but he’s also potentially mankind’s only hope against the other, far more antagonistic monsters who slumber around the globe.

You see, unfortunately for us tiny little humans, Godzilla is not the only ancient superfauna of its kind. Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism (or MUTOs for short) are ancient creatures that, quite frankly, make dinosaurs look modest by comparison. A single MUTO can pose a major threat to civilization. But with an unknown number of them lying dormant around the world, they collectively pose an extinction level threat. Recognizing this, an international organization by the name of “Monarch” was formed in 1946 following an encounter with the lesser-known MUTO, Shinomura, as depicted in the tie-in comic, Godzilla: Awakening.Their apparent mandate? To study, seek out, conceal, contain and, if necessary, destroy MUTOs in order to protect humanity. Or, as they put it: “Our Mission: Discovery and Defense in a Time of Monsters.”


Though the events of 2014’s “Godzilla” felt like mankind’s first real introduction to Godzilla and MUTOs, 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island”, set in the 1973, gave us greater insight into Monarch’s history and ongoing efforts following the attack at Bikini Atoll. Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts; the film follows a covert Monarch operation to the mysterious Skull Island. Monarch member William Randa’s goal is to prove the existence of monsters after having previously survived an encounter with Godzilla (or another creature like it). Here however, he and his team get far more than they bargained for. As intended, they come in contact with Kong (Just “Kong” this time around), the roughly 104 foot tall, emotionally intelligent ape and de facto ruler of the island. But what they also discover is a land lost to time, populated by a wide variety of terrifying oversized creatures. Worst among them by far are the Skullcrawlers, a large predatory species that is the stuff of nightmares.

Long story short, Monarch’s efforts on Skull Island serve as a harsh lesson in hubris. The silver lining? Like Godzilla, Kong appears to be more interested in maintaining order and keeping other monsters in check than attacking humans.

Though Skull Island may have been the end of the line for William Randa, Monarch only continues to grow as an organization in the years to follow - notably moving towards more scientific research over atomic bombs, and establishing the Hollow Earth theory of underwater tunnels linking parts of the Earth together in a network. The film’s end credits also serve to tease a major clash of titans in the future.


This brings us to 2019’s “Godzilla: King of Monsters” directed by Michael Dougherty; the third film in the MonsterVerse and one that really feels like it’s pushing for a strong sense of interconnectivity. With the groundwork laid concerning the history of MUTOs and Godzilla, we learn that Monarch has received a massive funding boost for more elaborate operations, and over the years and have located a number of dormant MUTOs, which they’ve been studying extensively. In a solid branding move, they’ve also rechristened MUTOs as “Titans”, a term which definitely has a better ring to it.


We learn that our world was once ruled by Titans and that these creatures are fundamental forces of nature. We also learn that ancient civilizations once co-existed with these titans, whom worshipped them as gods and even built temples for their respective dieties to rest in. Furthermore the Hollow Earth theory is confirmed, with one point being discovered at the doorstep of an ancient underwater city, indicating that these civilizations may have had access to long distance travel across the planet.

It could be argued that the Titans serve as a regulatory system of sorts, living extinction events (if need be) that maintain order and planetary health by means of their inherent destructive capabilities. Given that Toho’s OG Godzilla was an allegory on Nuclear Devestation, and how we theorised that King Ghidorah was an allegory on Extreme Weather Destruction caused by Climate Change in a previous video, its likely some of the other titans introduced here are also representions of an apocolyptic scenario that could bring forth an extinction level event. It would explain why these civilizations no longer exist.

So let’s take a look at some of the new players in “King of the Monsters” - names which are sure to ring a bell with fans of the Toho Godzilla movies.

Mothra is the first one introduced, as one of the titans that Monarch has been studying most closely. Known by the scientific name Titanus Mosura. The giant winged creature can bring catastrophe, but it also seems notably gentle by nature; given that she chose to subdue her captives rather than kill them in her larva stage. There’s also been foreshadowing that twin Doctor’s; Ilene and Ling Chen may have a greater connection to Mothra, equivalent to that of the Shobijin from the Toho films, perhaps as the link of communication between humanity and the titans?


Next up is Rodan, who again, requires little introduction. Titanus Rodan was first discovered by Monarch in 1991 in the Isla de Mara volcano where he lay dormant. It could be said that his body is a living volcano due to his internal volcanic combustion - which causes his body to emit extreme heat. Despite the creature’s incredible size and weight, it is remarkable agile; being able to match the speed of fighter jets, and the downward thrust from his wings can reduce cities to rubble.


Last but not least, is King Ghidorah. Godzilla’s greatest adversary; with power so destructive that most ancient civilizations either chose to keep little record of him, or few survived his encounter to tell the tale. A three-headed creature reminiscent of the Hydra of ancient mythology, Ghidorah is distinct from Godzilla in that it appears to be a creature that, for whatever reason, is inherently driven to commit destructive acts. At over 500 feet tall, Ghidorah dwarfs even Godzilla, and wherever he flies; he brings with him the most destructive storm known to mankind.


For those of you who have seen the film, don’t expect the monsters that did die here to be down for the count, as both the end credits and a post credit scene hints at their return for future titles. While “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” has been noticeably less well-received than the past two films, there’s no denying that Legendary has put in a lot of world building into this franchise. Now the stage is set for “Godzilla vs. Kong” to hit theaters in March 2020, though it won’t be the first time these two icons of cinema have met on the big screen. Still, there is a lot riding on the upcoming film to succeed, as Warner Bros & Legendary have not committed to any other films in the Monsterverse after “Godzilla vs. Kong”. But even if 2020 marks the end of the Monsterverse, Toho has their own Godzilla cinematic universe in the works codenamed: “World of Godzilla” set for launch in 2021. Ain’t that a testament to Godzilla’s legacy. Long Live the King!