Godzilla x Kong and other recent films prove that Godzilla can do anything

Godzilla rarely receives the recognition he deserves, both as a hero and as one of fiction’s most flexible characters. But with the recent spate of great, or at least great-looking, Godzilla projects, it’s finally the giant nuclear lizard’s time to shine.

We all know Godzilla can play the reluctant hero, and that’s the role he’s played in Legendary’s American films for years. But the new trailer for the next entry in the MonsterVerse, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, seems to give the King of the Monsters a new role as a weary mentor. This film seems to be mostly about Kong and his quest for the survival of his species. But when a new threat emerges that Kong can’t stop alone, the trailer’s human narrators know Godzilla is coming to save the day, complete with a shiny new pink spine.

It’s an incredibly silly but equally exciting place where Godzilla takes place, and one that seems to fit the tone of the film perfectly. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire looks like a fantastical, futuristic monster romp full of beautiful colors, giant monsters and cities just waiting to be destroyed. And who knows more about it than Godzilla?

But the exciting thing about the film is that it’s coming to theaters just months after we got to see Godzilla do so many other things. In Monarch: Legacy of Monsters

the excellent Apple TV series that serves as a sequel to the 2014 series Godzilla and set in the MonsterVerse, Godzilla is a long-sleeping protector of Earth. He is a huge, majestic, god-like wonder from a time long before humanity.

Meanwhile, on the big screen, a completely different Godzilla is taking over the box office Godzilla: Minus one. The Japanese Godzilla film feels like a throwback to the creature’s earliest appearances on screen. He’s gigantic, terrifying, unrecognizable, and for some reason seems determined to destroy Tokyo. In other words, it’s Godzilla coming back and claiming his throne as one of the coolest and scariest movie monsters.

There are plenty of heroes in pop culture these days, but none can boast the diversity of Godzilla. What other character could manage to lead a friendly film crew, be a terrifying horror villain, and play a supporting role for Kurt Russell in a few months? If there is justice in the world, this impressive run will be just the beginning of a new golden age of Godzilla.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire The release is scheduled for April 12, 2024.