The very notion of the ‘versus’ movie can often put the two title characters in a difficult position. Typically, they’re both the stars of their own franchise, and the studio is reluctant to name a definitive winner for fear of making the other one look weak. Batman v Superman, Alien vs. Predator and Freddy vs. Jason all tried to straddle the divide, but it wouldn’t be unfair to say that none of the finished products managed to live up to the expectations and hype that surrounded them.
Fingers crossed, then, that Godzilla vs. Kong can deliver exactly what fans are hoping to see, which it reportedly does if early reactions are any indication. Director Adam Wingard has already claimed that the credits will roll with a clear winner being named, and while there’s a 50/50 chance that you can guess who it is, the real question is where the MonsterVerse goes from here.
Godzilla has already had two solo movies of his own, with King of the Monsters marking a severe critical and commercial downturn from Gareth Edwards’ opener. Kong, meanwhile, has only headlined a prequel, and given that the epic smackdown between the Titans takes place almost half a century after Skull Island, there are clearly some major gaps in the mythology that could be filled in.
On that note, we’ve now heard from our sources – the same ones who told us the Snyder Cut of Justice League was coming to HBO Max long before it was confirmed – that depending on how Godzilla vs. Kong fares in terms of box office takings and an increase in subscriber numbers for the platform, the giant ape might be getting another standalone feature, with WB currently considering the possibility.
The studio is naturally keeping its cards close to the chest until the movie is released, but by this time next month, we’ll have a much better clue as to how the future of the MonsterVerse is shaping up.