Last updated: March 31, 2021
Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong featured a clash of Titans that's hard to beat, with the titular giant lizard facing off against King Ghidorah, Rodan, and Godzilla, respectivel. But, things could get even more epic in Godzilla 3. Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros. have been slowly building up a shared universe called the MonsterVerse, inhabited by Toho's most famous kaiju (and also King Kong). While Godzilla 3 hasn't officially been announced, King of the Monsters was followed up by the monster mash movie Godzilla vs. Kong. Following the film's events and the way it left things with the scaly monster, another Godzilla sequel seems likely.
The MonsterVerse began in 2014 with the release of Godzilla, which established the idea of Titans being so massive that they're effectively walking natural disasters. Godzilla protected humanity for the first time in that movie by battling the more malevolent MUTOs (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms), before retreating into the ocean for five years. While he was swimming around, Warner Bros. released Kong: Skull Island, a movie set in 1973 that introduced King Kong to the MonsterVerse so that he could eventually go on to do battle with Godzilla in 2021's Godzilla vs. Kong.
Will Godzilla 3 get the go-ahead and, if so, what will it be about? Here's everything we know so far.
Godzilla vs. Kong Is The Next MonsterVerse Movie
We won't have to wait until Godzilla 3 for Godzilla's return, as the Titan was back in fight mode in Godzilla vs. Kong. Directed by Adam Wingard from a script by Michael Dougherty and Zack Shields, the movie pit two of the MonsterVerse's human-protecting Titans against each other. The film explains their epic clash as having to do with ancient stories and the idea that there can't be two Alphas existing at once.
The end credits for Godzilla: King of the Monsters feature a montage of news headlines detailing what happens after the end of the movie. Many of the Titans return to dormancy (Rodan, for example, curls up for a nap in a volcano in Fiji), while Godzilla protects cities from others. As Dr. Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga) predicted, there's even some good that comes out of the return of the Titans, with their radiation causing mass vegetation growth and scientists finding that their waste could be used as fuel. Eventually, though, the montage turns to promises of a new conflict, with headlines about seismic events at Skull Island, Titans being drawn to King Kong's remote home, with it finally teasing of an epic battle between Godzilla and Kong.
That battle comes to fruition in Godzilla vs. Kong, with the titular Titans duking it out in a few big (and destructive) clashes. While Godzilla is the clear winner in their penultimate fight, he and Kong wind up teaming up to take down Mechagodzilla, a man-made monster similar to Godzilla that was being controlled by Ghidorah's consciousness. Kong delivers the final blow with an axe he picked up while in Hollow Earth, the home of various monsters below the Earth's surface. After Mechagodzilla is defeated, Kong and Godzilla's issues are settled, with Godzilla wading back into the ocean and Kong returning to Hollow Earth, becoming King Kong at last. Considering Godzilla doesn't die after fighting two formidable foes, the ending of Godzilla vs. Kong certainly leaves it open for a potential sequel.
Godzilla 3 Isn't Official (Yet)
Warner Bros. hasn't officially announced Godzilla 3, or indeed any MonsterVerse movie after Godzilla vs. Kong, but there are almost certainly more ideas in development. Unlike the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the DC Extended Universe, which release multiple movies per year, the MonsterVerse has been taking things slow so far, with only four movies released in the past seven years. However, production is clearly accelerating, with three years between Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island, two years between Skull Island and Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and two years between King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong (which was supposed to be out in 2020, but pandemic delays pushed the film to 2021), we may well be moving towards one MonsterVerse movie per year (or more) if they continue to prove successful.
Godzilla 3's Potential Release Date
Because of the amount of VFX required to bring the Titans to life, MonsterVerse movies require a lengthy production and post-production schedule. Godzilla: King of the Monsters, for example, wrapped filming in September 2017 for a May 2019 release date. If Godzilla 3 were announced, a director was found quickly, and production began by the end of 2019, then it's possible Warner Bros. could hit an early 2023 release date (Godzilla vs. Kong began filming in November 2018 and was meant for a March 2020 release), but realistically we're unlikely to see another sequel in theaters for a while.
What Will Godzilla 3's Story Be?
Godzilla: King of the Monsters does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to setting up future sequels. In addition to the credits headline montage, there's also a post-credits scene in which Jonah Alan (Charles Dance) returns to Isla de Mara to retrieve the head that Godzilla tore off Ghidorah earlier in the movie. The head grew back after being severed, and it wasn't until the end of the movie that Godzilla was finally able to defeat the invader by ripping off all three of its heads. However, Alan traffics in Titan DNA and has found a way to create new life from it, which became eveident when Ghidorah's consciousness was used to power Mechagodzilla. Ghidorah returned (sort of) in Godzilla vs. Kong and it's possible the filmmakers will figure out a way for the Titan to show up in Godzilla 3.
Ghidorah isn't the only deceased Titan who has an implied comeback on the horizon. One of the headlines mentions a Titan egg that has been found, with speculation that it could be a new Mothra in the making. Mothra hatches as a larva, goes into a cocoon, and emerges in her fully-grown form in King of the Monsters, within a relatively short timespan. She ultimately sacrifices herself defending Godzilla from Ghidorah, but could "return" in the form of a new Mothra in Godzilla 3. There are also new Titans, such as the spider-crab creature Scylla and the mammoth-like Behemoth, who only appear peripherally in King of the Monsters but could have a larger role (so to speak) in the sequel.
In Godzilla vs. Kong, the former had less to do than his nemesis and going back to the ocean following their final battle could mean that Godzilla will be out for another few years, popping back in for a potential Godzilla 3. While Godzilla didn't get too meaty a story, the inclusion of Hollow Earth and its many, many monsters could see an uptick in Titans appearing topside. These escaped monsters from Hollow Earth could see Godzilla show back up again, if only to defend humanity once more from an even bigger threat.
There's No Godzilla 3 Trailer Yet
Needless to say, Godzilla 3 doesn't have a trailer yet, but we'll update this page if and when the trailer is released.
