There's a way for Legendary to make Godzilla 3 even if the King of the Monsters dies in battle in Godzilla vs. Kong. Due to the brutal, unforgiving nature of giant monster fights, there's a strong likelihood of the loser of Godzilla vs. Kong meeting a gruesome end. Godzilla could kill Kong - or vice versa.
So far, Godzilla has crushed the competition in the MonsterVerse. Godzilla sought out and destroyed two M.U.T.O.s in 2014's Godzilla and returned to battle his ancient nemesis, Ghidorah, in Godzilla: King of the Monsters. Godzilla would have killed Ghidorah in their second fight if it wasn't for the interference of the humans and their Oxygen Destroyer. In the end, Godzilla obliterated Ghidorah with his atomic pulses, thanks to a temporary upgrade he received from Mothra. Based on Godzilla's accomplishments, Kong is sure to have his hands full when they face off in the upcoming fourth MonsterVerse installment.
Currently scheduled for a November 2020 release and directed by Adam Wingard, Godzilla vs. Kong will pit the two titular Titans against each other in a "spectacular battle for the ages." Kong, who will have gone through a significant growth spurt for the fight, is one Titan who didn't answer Ghidorah's call in King of the Monsters, so it's hard to imagine him accepting Godzilla as the new alpha either. For a reason that hasn't been revealed, the two will come to blows just as Monarch launches an investigation into the origin of the Titans. Caught in a conflict that's expected to involve Mechagodzilla and a brand new Titan, Godzilla or Kong may not make it out alive in the new movie. But even if Godzilla falls, Legendary could still make Godzilla 3 happen. Here's how that could work.
How Toho Brought Godzilla Back After The 1954 Film
Death doesn't have to be the end for the Japanese pop culture icon, and that's been proven in Toho's films. Godzilla died in the original 1954 movie when Dr. Serizawa (Akihiko Hirata) sacrificed himself to use the Oxygen Destroyer against Godzilla, who was destroying Japan. When the weapon was unleashed on him in the water, Godzilla was disintegrated. With this ending, Toho didn't leave much room for him to come back, but the movie's success did inspire Toho to make a sequel, Godzilla Raids Again, in 1955. But how was Godzilla used if he was dead? Instead of making a reboot and ignoring the events of Gojira, Toho explained in Godzilla Raids Again that two creatures were bombarded with radiation from the United States military's atom bomb test.
Apparently, the 1954 Godzilla wasn't the only monster created that day. The Japanese didn't know it at the time, but there were actually two Godzillas for them to deal with. The second emerged in Godzilla Raids Again, and though he was defeated at the end, Toho avoided killing him. This allowed Toho to continue using the second Godzilla for the remainder of the Showa series. He appeared in 13 more movies from 1962 to 1975. The explanation that the Oxygen Destroyer created two different Godzillas was also used in the Millennium series, which started with Godzilla 2000.
Godzilla Could Have Relatives In The MonsterVerse
The idea of there being more than one Godzilla isn't unique to Toho's movies. It was incorporated into the MonsterVerse in 2014's Godzilla when Monarch found a skeleton of a much older member of Godzilla's species. The credits included a detailed image of the skeleton, which was labeled "Adam." The discovery of Adam in the film implied that he was killed by the M.U.T.O.s, since it was revealed that they laid eggs in his body. His history was expanded on in the Godzilla: Aftershock comic, which renamed him "Dagon" and showed him dying in battle with a creature called the M.U.T.O. Prime. This Dagon could have been one of Godzilla's ancestors, and the reason why Godzilla treats the M.U.T.O.s as enemies. The existence of Dagon means that Godzilla isn't one of a kind in the MonsterVerse. There could be another Godzilla out there somewhere, living in secret.
Godzilla 3 Could Introduce A New Godzilla
Godzilla vs. Kong is confirmed to have a definitive winner, and though Godzilla enters the film as a heavy favorite, it's possible that Kong could kill Godzilla. On neutral terms, Kong was at a disadvantage in their first fight in King Kong vs. Godzilla (due in part to Godzilla's atomic breath), but a toy leak has revealed that Kong has an axe, which could give him an advantage.
There are also other threats to Godzilla in the new movie that have nothing to do with Kong. Though Godzilla vs. Kong's highlight will be the conflict between the two titular Titans, it is possible that the film will feature multiple villains, and even if Godzilla survives the fight with Kong, he could die in the conflict with Mechagodzilla. His robotic counterpart has always been one of Godzilla's most formidable adversaries, and there have been instances when Mechagodzilla has posed an even bigger challenge to him than Ghidorah. Godzilla may not be able to survive through grueling battles with Kong and Mechagodzilla.
If some great tragedy did befall the King of the Monsters in Godzilla vs. Kong, this would be the perfect opportunity for the MonsterVerse to bring in Godzilla's relative. The setup for such a reveal is already there, and he could be teased or shown in a post-credits scene. The current Godzilla was woken up by the atom bombs in World War II, but this new Godzilla could have been sleeping even deeper down in the ocean and was left undisturbed. Events in Godzilla vs. Kong, such as Monarch's expedition into the Hollow Earth, could awaken him from his slumber just in time for Godzilla 3, which could feature Godzilla's relative seeking revenge for whatever befalls Godzilla in this year's Monsterverse release.