Warner Bros. has already taken gigantic steps with the Godzilla franchise in recent years. Both with their stellar casts, featuring Mille Bobby Brown, Bryan Cranston, & Anthony Ramos, and with how they’ve used Godzilla himself. They’ve shown they are unafraid with pitting the radioactive lizard against multiple enemies at once, alien monsters from outer space, and even another King of monsters. With the ending of Godzilla Vs. Kong, one of the best sci-fi movies of 2021, Godzilla has laid claim to the title of King of the monsters once and for all. So where can the franchise go from here? With a storied history that spans decades, we’re going to look back at the films that comprise the franchise’s past to determine what Warner Bros. can do to keep the franchise exciting.
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Bring Back Classic Monsters
Toho Co., Ltd.
We’re a far cry from the MUTOs of Godzilla (2014). After having Mothra, Fire Rodan, & King Ghidorah introduced in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, many looked forward to some of their favorite old-school kaiju from the different eras of the Godzilla franchise. One of Godzilla’s first enemies would also be his first ally. That monster was Anguirus, a beast that closely resembled an Ankylosaurus. While Anguirus would grow to be a punching bag that gave the new evil kaiju a way of displaying their might, he would prove to be a fan-favorite with his spiked shell.
Another monster that has gotten a lot of people talking is Gigan. This creature seems to be an amalgamation of multiple power-sets combined into one lethal force. He possesses large hooks in place of his hands, a buzzsaw running down his torso, and lasers that shoot out of a visor reminiscent of a certain X-Man’s gear. Add in heavy hitters like Biollante, Destoroyah, & Space Godzilla, and you have enough of a rogues’ gallery to make at least five more films with the current iteration of the King of the monsters. All with Godzilla fighting the strongest & weakest of the monsters out there.
Give Godzilla a Family
It’s fun to be the King of the monsters. It’s hard work to protect an entire world from catastrophic calamities now and then. But what would be more fulfilling for a King than nurturing his legacy? In past eras, Godzilla had a son that he would protect and teach to use his abilities. Imagine such heart-touching moments, such as when Little Godzilla absorbed enough radiation to use a full atomic blast for the first time in Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.
This youth can also act as a moral conscience for the King, such as when Minilla befriended Saeko in Son of Godzilla or when Minilla was able to defeat a monster known as Gabara with the help of a young boy in All Monsters Attack. Admittedly, that last example would turn out to be a dream sequence. Still, regardless, the action-heavy summer blockbusters could easily introduce these family concepts thanks to the advanced CGI and stellar casting that the franchise has become known for. There are some who are calling for this character to be introduced in the sequel to Godzilla Vs. Kong.
Keep the Man-Made Kaiju
Mechagodzilla may have been a project started by Monarch, a company with less than noble intentions. But, the idea of humanity preparing to defend itself isn’t such a bad one. And it has been seen in the franchise’s past on numerous occasions. One of the most popular examples is Jet Jaguar. Born from a competition of children submitting designs for the next Godzilla monster, Jet Jaguar was brought to life in Godzilla Vs. Megalon, as Goro Ibuki worked on the robot to help defend against invading Seatopians. This size-changing robot would work with Godzilla to defeat the invading kaiju and help steer the monsters away from populated cities. Jet Jaguar would gain free will only to continue its mission, proving that not all autonomous robots are pure evil.
While we’ve seen Ghidorah make an ominous return in Godzilla Vs. Kong in the form of MechaGodzilla, there is still the possibility of bringing the three-headed dragon back in the form of Mecha-King Ghidorah. Just like when the Futurians used the technology of the future to resurrect him in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah. Although this version of Ghidorah was kept under better control, creating machines from the corpses of monsters is always a risk. Just like when humanity created KIRYU from the remains of the original Godzilla, as revealed in Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
When in Doubt, Reboot it
Godzilla has gone through many iterations over the years. The original film was released in 1954, and since then, there have been six different versions of Godzilla. And that’s not counting animated adaptations. Rebooting a franchise means there’s room to apply new rules. In some versions, Godzilla is a campy hero working alongside humanity to overcome devastating odds. In others, he is a chaotic force of nature, set on a course to level cities and fire his atomic breath on the fleeing citizenry. Shin Godzilla is infamous for changing the core concept, giving Godzilla an updated look that left viewers stunned. These changes included new powers that keyed into the scientific origins of Godzilla’s birth.
Suppose Warner Bros. decides keeping up with a connected universe of films and television shows (like the Apple TV+ series that’s in development) is too much, or they write themselves into a corner. In that case, they can easily hit the reboot button and introduce audiences to a whole new iteration of the King of the Monsters.
