Godzilla: King of the Monsters will pit Godzilla against the three-headed monster King Ghidorah. While it may appear that Godzilla will be facing off against King Ghidorah for the first time, the two monsters may have actually fought before.
The upcoming film will be the third installment in Warner Bros. and Legendary's shared cinematic universe, MonsterVerse, following 2014's Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island in 2017. The fourth movie in the series is the crossover film Godzilla vs. Kong, which will hit theaters in 2020. Only two movies in the MonsterVerse have been released, and already the new shared universe has been a massive success for Warner Bros. Together, Godzilla and Kong: Skull Island have grossed over $1 billion, giving hope to the future of the franchise.
Related: Godzilla vs. Kong Synopsis Released as Production Begins
Directed by Michael Dougherty, Godzilla: King of the Monsters follows the aftermath of the battle between Godzilla and the M.U.T.O.s, which brought untold destruction and opened the eyes of the public to the existence of giant monsters. Secret government agency Monarch is tasked with dealing with Godzilla and three newly-discovered monsters - but when those monsters collide, the collateral damage could be apocalyptic.
- This Page: What We Know About Godzilla: King of the Monsters
- Page 2: Has Godzilla Fought the Other Titans Before?
Godzilla Battles King Ghidorah in King of the Monsters
In 2014's Godzilla, the alpha predator battled it out with two M.U.T.O.s, who were original to the film. The sequel, however, will bring in three classic Toho monsters: King Ghidorah, Rodan, and Mothra. All three are prominent characters in the Godzilla universe with multiple appearances in Toho films. While Rodan and Mothra have occasionally had antagonistic relationships with Godzilla in the past, both are typically portrayed as allies or sidekicks to the King of the Monsters. King Ghidorah, on the other hand, has a reputation for being one of Godzilla's greatest enemies.
Through the years, King Ghidorah has served as the main villain in six films, including Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster, Invasion of Astro Monster, Destroy all Monsters, Godzilla vs. Gigan, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, and Rebirth of Mothra III. His first movie, Ghidorah: The Three Headed Monster, happens to feature the same cast of monsters as the new film. With these things in mind, it makes sense for King Ghidorah to be the biggest threat to Godzilla in King of the Monsters.
According to the film's synopsis, Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah will "all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity's very existence hanging in the balance". While this description suggests that the fighting will consist of a four-way free-for-all, there are other signs that indicate that in the end it will all boil down to Godzilla and King Ghidorah. A poster for the movie puts an emphasis on the fight between the two monsters. King of the Monsters actor O'Shea Jackson has already confirmed an epic showdown in a "last scene with Godzilla and King Ghidorah" that "you will never forget".
Related: How Godzilla Originally Beat Ghidorah (& What Could Happen In King Of The Monsters)
If King of the Monsters is basically "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah", this of course begs the question: what happens to Rodan and Mothra? One theory is that instead of a free-for-all, the four Titans will duke it out in a two-on-two match with Mothra siding with Godzilla and Rodan siding with King Ghidorah. Alternatively, the film could play out like Ghidorah: The Three-Headed Monster, but with a twist. At the end of the movie, Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra used teamwork to take down King Ghidorah, but the finale of King of the Monsters could go a different way. King Ghidorah could kill or defeat Rodan and Mothra, forcing Godzilla to face him alone.
Page 2: Has Godzilla Fought the Other Titans Before?
Has Godzilla Fought Rodan, Mothra and Ghidorah Before?
In the post-credits scene for Kong: Skull Island, a series of cave paintings teased the introduction of Rodan, Mothra, and Ghidorah into the MonsterVerse. In one painting, Godzilla is shown fighting King Ghidorah. Men with primitive weapons appear in the background, which indicates that these monsters have been around for hundreds--or possibly thousands--of years.
According to the file on King Ghidorah on the Monarch Sciences website, the creature has injuries on his body that look like "claw and scorch marks". Of course, a monster as powerful is King Ghidorah wouldn't be easy to injure, so these wounds had to be the result of a battle with an equally fearsome beast, like Godzilla (the scorch marks specifically point to Rodan).
The trailer for the film shows that King Ghidorah is frozen in suspended animation, which explains why he hasn't been active. The wounds on his body call into question the circumstances behind his current situation. Did Godzilla defeat King Ghidorah long ago and leave him for dead in the ocean? Regardless, what all of this suggests is that these four Titans may have a rich history together, and that Godzilla: King of the Monsters isn't Godzilla's first clash with King Ghidorah.
Related: There Are Other Monster Kings (And Queens) In Godzilla 2
What Does This Mean For Godzilla 2?
A shared history between the monsters could have a major impact on the story of King of the Monsters. What it means is that the film is basically a Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah rematch of apocalyptic proportions. The trailer and information from the Monarch Sciences website illustrates how much destruction these monsters can inadvertently cause. Rodan can level cities just by flying past them, and King Ghidorah's wings are capable of tearing open the stratosphere. That being said, a brawl between the four monsters could bring the world to its knees. There's no telling what disasters were caused by them in the past, or how the planet's earlier civilizations avoided complete annihilation.
The idea that Godzilla and King Ghidorah have been clashing for centuries is indicative of how powerful the three-headed monster truly is, as opposed to the M.U.T.O.s who had to work together to pose a significant challenge to Godzilla. Unlike the M.U.T.O.s, it appears King Ghidorah was able to fight Godzilla and live to see another day. It's also worth noting the emphasis the official poster puts on the difference in size between Godzilla and King Ghidorah. Is it possible that the movie's title is intentionally misleading, and that King Ghidorah is the true King of the Monsters?
If so, King of the Monsters may do what Godzilla could not, which is give the alpha predator a worthy opponent.