After ignoring it in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the MonsterVerse is embracing Gojira’s best trait – his unpredictability – in Godzilla vs. Kong. In the upcoming MonsterVerse movie, the current alpha of the Titans is headed for a dramatic showdown with Kong, who is being painted as the hero to Godzilla’s villain. However, things may not be what they seem.
In Toho’s movies, Godzilla isn’t typically a monster who can be viewed in black and white. Instead, he’s a somewhat mysterious creature with motives that aren’t always clear to humans. There were instances, of course, in the 1960s and 1970s when Godzilla was a hero who protected Japan, but there were plenty of other times – many of which were in the Heisei series – when Godzilla was more of an anti-hero who could act either as an opponent or ally to humans. Godzilla couldn’t be placed on one side of the good vs. evil spectrum, as the King of the Monsters had his own side.
Godzilla's unpredictable aspect is one of his best qualities, and it’s become clear the MonsterVerse is making it a focal point in Godzilla vs Kong. In the trailer, it’s revealed that Godzilla is acting like a villain by hurting humans. Of course, this is contrary to what the MonsterVerse has done with him thus far. The 2014 Godzilla played into his unpredictable nature a bit before revealing that his mission was to hunt the MUTOs and preserve the balance of nature. King of the Monsters was much less mysterious about Godzilla’s motives, as it was clear from the very beginning that he was a hero out to save Earth from his old rival, Ghidorah. Godzilla vs. Kong, on the other hand, is flipping the narrative and putting the heroic reputation of the MonsterVerse’s Godzilla in question for the first time.
It’s worth noting the trailer doesn’t outright prove Godzilla is the antagonist. As Madison (Millie Bobby Brown) points out, something out there in the world could be provoking him. It may be that the targets of Godzilla’s attacks are the bases operated by the villains. Or, it’s possible that Godzilla is being impersonated by Mechagodzilla. Either way, his real role in Godzilla vs. Kong is yet to be determined, and figuring that out is all part of the fun of Godzilla.
The MonsterVerse is leaning in the right direction by not repeating Godzilla and King of the Monsters’ stories. Rather than just sending him after another ancient enemy, Godzilla vs. Kong has put the alpha into the role of the anti-hero. It’s a familiar role to long-time Godzilla fans, but one that has always suited him well. If the trailer is any indication, audiences won’t know right away if Godzilla is the villain, or if he’s actually trying to stop a greater threat that Monarch doesn’t know about yet. What Gojira is really up to in Godzilla vs. Kong is currently a huge mystery – and that’s a good thing.
