Technically, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is the fifth film in Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse, which expanded into television in 2023 with Apple TV Plus’ Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. While that doesn’t make this franchise as sprawling as, say, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s still a sizable enough body of work to fill a long weekend of watching for anyone who’s curious about what led up to The New Empire.
Should you bother with a deep dive into this series’ lore to prep for The New Empire, though, or just content yourself with a quick explainer? That mostly depends on what you want to know about this world and its characters.
Do I need to watch any MonsterVerse movies before Godzilla x Kong?
Frankly, not really. You can go in cold if you like! As far as strict continuity goes, though, The Guest and Death Note director Adam Wingard picks up the action of this movie directly after the events of his 2021 series installment, Godzilla vs. Kong.
The scientific agency Monarch is still taking the lead in dealing with the kaiju-sized creatures called Titans. The New Empire brings back a few cast members, like Monarch scientist Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall), her adopted (and psychic, apparently) daughter Jia (Kaylee Hottle), and conspiracy-theorist podcaster Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry). Plenty of other characters aren’t returning from Godzilla vs. Kong, though, including Alexander Skarsgård as Dr. Nathan Lind, Millie Bobby Brown as Bernie fan Madison, and Kyle Chandler as her dad, Mark. Mostly what matters is that Godzilla and King Kong are back, and still willing to work together, even if they don’t like each other.
You could go back further in the story if you like, but only if monster introductions interest you: 2014’s Godzilla and 2017’s Kong: Skull Island introduce the lead Titans, while 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters shows how all these other Titans became an issue for modern Earth. Monarch: Legacy of Monsters concerns itself with the people who first learned of the Titans’ existence.
Does Godzilla x Kong have a post-credits scene?
Nope. Not even a mid-credits scene. Stick around and appreciate all the people who made this movie, but don’t expect any further teases. The movie, to quote Ferris Bueller, is over. Go home.
Will Godzilla x Kong get a sequel?
That depends on how many people go see Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Warner Bros. hasn’t greenlit another MonsterVerse movie yet, and clearly didn’t expressly plan this particular MonsterVerse arc as a trilogy. But Adam Wingard has openly said he’s willing to make a third film in this series. He’s equally open about saying that it all depends on whether The New Empire makes money and Warner Bros. decides to continue the MonsterVerse from this point.
The movie itself doesn’t set up any dangling plot threads or cliffhangers, though — it wraps up quite neatly, putting all the toys back on the shelf. The Titans are ready to come out for another brawl whenever there’s a demand, just as they have been since 1955, when Godzilla Raids Again turned Godzilla from a one-off villain into a franchise anchor. Wingard and Warner Bros. are just waiting to see whether audiences want to keep playing with these particular action figures.
