Because of Godzilla vs. Kong, the monsters can finally become the real stars if and when Godzilla 3 is developed. No additional MonsterVerse movies are confirmed to be on Legendary’s slate, but if the studio is pleased with the film’s performance both at the box office and on HBO Max, it could be motivated to make more movies, including Godzilla 3.
It’s worth wondering what sort of direction the MonsterVerse may take with the story in Godzilla 3, and if it’ll differ in its approach to the balance between the human characters and the Titans. When it comes to the MonsterVerse (and Godzilla movies in general) this is a major talking point, as many disagree about how the human characters are handled. A common complaint that pertains to both Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong is that the human stories are the weakest aspects of the movies. Considering that this is a problem that dates all the way back to the Showa series in the 1960s and 1970s and isn’t strictly a MonsterVerse issue, it’s likely to come up again the next time Godzilla shows big screen. Unless, of course, the next film succeeds in pulling off something drastically different.
One solution that’s sometimes discussed is ditching the human characters from Godzilla's franchise completely, but it’s hard to see that working since an overabundance of monster action would lessen the excitement and lower the stakes. So instead of dropping the human element altogether, Godzilla 3 could flip the screen-time for the monsters and the humans. In an interview, Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard raised this possibility himself by expressing an interest in making a movie where the humans are only in 35% of the film [via Toho Kingdom]. According to Wingard, this is what he would want to if he were to be put back in the director’s chair for another MonsterVerse.
Wingard’s approach to Godzilla vs. Kong indicates that such a plan might actually work. For instance, Godzilla vs. Kong featured rather long takes during the scenes with the Titans that didn’t include many cutaways to the human characters. This is especially true for the final showdown, which allowed Godzilla and Kong to fight without being interrupted. For some portions of the film, the humans didn’t feel needed, as Godzilla vs. Kong was able to put the focus on the monsters and their own actions. Plus, the movie demonstrated that the monsters don’t have to be fighting for them to come off as interesting. This was made clear by Kong’s discovery of the Hollow Earth temple and Godzilla blasting a hole through the Hollow Earth.
Also, there were several moments in the movie where it was more fun for the audience to interpret for themselves what the monsters were doing and thinking, rather than having to rely on exposition from the human point of view. Godzilla “laughing” at Kong, Gojira’s victory roar, and Kong taking his throne are all examples of how the Titans can deliver compelling entertainment on their own. If the next movie offers even more of this and less of the humans – who are never going to be welcomed by most viewers, anyway – Godzilla 3 could be a game-changer for the franchise after Godzilla vs. Kong.