Does ‘Godzilla vs. Kong’ Set up ‘Godzilla 3’?

Godzilla has long maintained his position as the King of Monsters in the MonsterVerse so far, having defeated several titans, including Ghidorah, two MUTOs, and now Kong and the Ghidorah-controlled Mechagodzilla.

Though one may argue that he now shares this mantle with Kong, who rules over the Hollow Earth by the end of Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla still remains Alpha Titan.

If there were to be a new Godzilla movie, it would likely involve Godzilla facing off with a yet-unseen titan. Let’s see how GvK and previous MonsterVerse movies have set up a potential Godzilla 3 plot so far.

1. Is There Going to Be a Godzilla 3? When Will It Release?

Godzilla 3 has not been officially announced yet.

However, considering the efforts Warner Bros. has taken to build up the MonsterVerse, and the success of all four of its movies so far, it would be reasonable to assume that it will get made eventually.

If we go by the schedules of previous MonsterVerse movies, we can assume that production would take at least 16-18 months once it begins. Post-production would then take another year or so. This means that even if Godzilla 3 were announced within the next month, and a director was finalized quickly, we likely wouldn’t see the sequel until early/mid-2023 at the very earliest.

2. Where Godzilla Ends up in GvK

For most of Godzilla vs. Kong, Godzilla and Kong are shown to be at odds, and we as the audience are rooting for Kong as the two titans face off. However, as some may have expected, this equation changes towards the end of the movie.

Apex Cybernetics CEO Walter Simmons (Démian Bichir) orders the activation of Mechagodzilla. Since he does this against the judgement of Ren Serizawa (Shun Oguri), who telepathically controls Mechagodzilla and had concerns about the instability of Mechagodzilla’s power source, things naturally go awry.

Mechagodzilla gets possessed by the consciousness of Ghidorah, and consequently kills Walter and electrocutes Ren. The mecha is now predictably out of control and is too much of a challenge for Godzilla alone to defeat, especially as Godzilla is already tired from battling Kong earlier.

Kong, who has been recently defeated by Godzilla, is convinced by Jia (Kaylee Hottle) to help him subdue Mechagodzilla. Kong and Godzilla finally join forces to take care of the larger problem at hand. They almost get overpowered by Mechagodzilla, but ultimately defeat him together. Godzilla uses his atomic breath to supercharge the glowing ax found earlier in the Hollow Earth, and Kong finally destroys Mechagodzilla with it.

The movie ends with Godzilla and Kong acknowledging one another in a sort of truce before going their own separate ways. It’s an unsaid fact that both are powerful titans in their own right, with Godzilla maintaining his original stronghold, and Kong establishing rule over the Hollow Earth.

There is now an interesting and complex new power dynamic between Godzilla and Kong.

When it comes to physical power, Godzilla remains at the top, as illustrated by the fact that he beats Kong two times out of three in GvK. In a multi-round fight, Godzilla could wipe the floor with Kong.

However, physical power is not the only determining factor in an alpha—intelligence and leadership qualities matter too, and Kong beats Godzilla in this department. Kong has the qualities of a natural leader. He is extremely intelligent, with a keen understanding of who his enemies and allies are. We also see him exhibit a clear sense of pride when he assumes the Hollow Earth throne.

Thus, Godzilla and Kong now sit together at the apex of the titan pyramid, each with different strengths to his name.

Since Kong has taken up his throne in the Hollow Earth and Godzilla still roams the oceans as alpha, it seems distinctly possible that the two might once again meet in the future.

My first theory is that there might just be another face-off between the two titans as they fight for dominance over the rest of the titans out there. It would be interesting to see if they still respond to Godzilla as their alpha, or if they end up bowing to Kong instead.

A second theory I thought of is that there may soon be a new threat to the world, which pushes Godzilla and Kong to once again join forces to defeat it, this time commanding the other titans together.

Finally, another theory is that there may be a threat to the Hollow Earth, and Kong as a brand new ruler might need reinforcements to face it—enter Godzilla!

3. What Would Happen in Godzilla 3?

If we were to see a Godzilla 3, it would most likely open with Godzilla patrolling his territory—the same way as every other MonsterVerse movie thus far. It seems most plausible that the movie would pick up where King of the Monsters left off since that movie addresses Godzilla’s own storyline more directly than Godzilla vs. Kong does.

It is unclear whether the new monster he fights would be another challenger. However, it is reasonable to assume that Godzilla won’t go up against Ghidorah again, as Ghidorah has already been the ultimate antagonist before, and has appeared in spirit in GvK as well.

If we go by what happens in the Toho movies, the most logical conclusion would be that Godzilla would face off against Destoroyah in the next movie.

Toho’s movies show that Destoroyah, Godzilla’s most challenging opponent, was created as a result of the Oxygen Destroyer mutating crustaceans in the ocean. The Oxygen Destroyer, a military weapon used to attack Godzilla and Ghidorah, has already been shown in King of the Monsters. It is a powerful enough weapon that it had left Godzilla at the brink of death.

Considering how powerful and undefeated Godzilla is, Destoroyah would be the only titan who can take the plot forward, seeing as how he’s stronger than all the monsters Godzilla has taken on so far. Godzilla defeating the ultra-strong Mechagodzilla in GvK cements this theory, in my opinion.

So, I say you can likely look forward to an epic battle between Godzilla and the formidable Destoroyah in the next Godzilla movie.

4. About Godzilla vs. Kong

Godzilla vs. Kong is an American kaiju-action movie. It is a sequel to Godzilla: King of Monsters and Kong: Skull Island and is the latest entry in the WB-Legendary Monsterverse. The film stars Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, and others.

Godzilla vs. Kong took in $285 million in just 12 days in theatres. As of now, it has grossed over $400 million, becoming the most successful movie in the pandemic era to date.

Humans have captured King Kong from Skull Island to help him find his true home. With them is Jia, a young orphaned girl with whom he has formed a unique and powerful bond. But Kong’s return comes just in time for Godzilla cutting a swath of destruction across the globe. As the fearsome monsters square off in an epic battle for the ages, humanity looks to wipe out both of them and take back the planet once and for all.