As impressed as I was with what Godzilla Minus One did with the King of the Monsters, I don’t want it to ever have any impact on the Monsterverse. It’s not been lost on me that Godzilla Minus One is on another level to most Monsterverse movies when it comes to its critical reception. Whereas movies like Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire and Godzilla: King of the Monsters didn’t fare well at all with critics, Godzilla Minus One received across-the-board praise. To say that it was a success feels like a huge understatement.

Its accolades speak for themselves when it comes to the 2023 movie’s quality. Having picked up the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, Godzilla Minus One became the first Godzilla movie ever to win an Oscar. It even got a ton of acclaim for its human narrative, which is admittedly rare for the giant monster movie genre. And to be clear, I don’t disagree with the notion that Godzilla Minus One is a truly great movie. But though it certainly delivered a moving story, astounding visuals, and a faithful take on Godzilla, I never once thought that this is what the Monsterverse should be doing.

Despite Their Differences, Both Godzilla Minus One & The Monsterverse Movies Are Faithful Godzilla Adaptations

They Can Both Be Accurate And Different At The Same Time

It’s true that Legendary’s Monsterverse movies have moved away from the serious tone of the original 1954 classic and have instead embraced an emphasis on over-the-top monster action. Juxtaposing Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire with Godzilla Minus One really helps illustrate that point. Godzilla Minus One comes across as a return to some of the darker themes of the franchise that were prevalent in the 1954 film as well as some of the Heisei era installments. The Monsterverse isn’t like that at all, but that’s not to say that it disrespects the spirit of Godzilla.

To the contrary, I see the Monsterverse as a welcome tribute to Godzilla’s past. Specifically, it reminds me of the Godzilla movies that Toho made in the Showa era. Beginning in 1964 with Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Toho began to employ a more kid-friendly approach, as evidenced by the scene where Godzilla seemingly swears at Mothra and uses a boulder in a makeshift game of volleyball with Rodan. I couldn’t help but think back to that moment when Godzilla and Kong were batting Skar King around in Godzilla x Kong’s ending.

It’s these sorts of things that make me appreciate the Monsterverse. Sure, it doesn’t pay much attention to the fact that Godzilla was created as a metaphor for the atomic bomb and some of the more symbolic elements of his character. But as its Showa-inspired action scenes show, it’s not ignoring Godzilla’s roots altogether. Rather, it’s simply honoring a different yet equally important part of his history.

The significance of the Showa era of Godzilla movies shouldn’t be overlooked, and I don’t say that just because it’s important to my childhood. Accounting for a massive chunk of Godzilla’s history, the Showa films are responsible for much of the lore that exists in the franchise. The various Godzilla allies and villains in his universe perfectly underscore this idea, as most of them originate from that period.

The Monsterverse’s Godzilla Movies Don’t Need To Be Like Godzilla Minus One To Be Entertaining

Regardless Of Godzilla Minus One’s Popularity, The Monsterverse Doesn’t Need To Change

Currently, the franchise’s Showa connections are working out well for it. Even if the reviews may indicate otherwise, Godzilla x Kong’s record-breaking success at the box office is proof that the Monsterverse is doing something right. Clearly, Legendary’s Godzilla and Kong movies are more than capable of filling seats. The entertainment its movies provide doesn’t have to come from emotional story beats or strong character arcs like what’s seen in Godzilla Minus One. The Monsterverse succeeds by leaning on another appealing aspect of the Godzilla franchise: monster fights.

Not unlike the movies in the Showa era, the thrilling Titan battles are the true highlights of the Monsterverse movies. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire offering more monster fights than previous installments (and benefiting handsomely from it at the box office) demonstrates that. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire doesn’t endeavor to create unforgettable human characters, as the Monsterverse seems to understand that the monsters are the true stars. This is something that the Showa era films also recognized.

Naturally, my fondest memories of the classic Godzilla movies revolve around the climactic showdowns at the end. Godzilla and Jet Jaguar’s epic team-up against Megalon and Gigan sticks out in my mind as one of the most exciting monster battles I’ve ever witnessed, and the same applies to Godzilla and Anguirus’ fight with Gigan and Ghidorah in Godzilla vs. Gigan. Godzilla x Kong did well to recreate this feel when it pitted Godzilla and Kong against the Monsterverse’s Skar King and Shimo. This is exactly what I want from a Godzilla movie, and truthfully, something I doubt I’m going to see from a potential Godzilla Minus One 2.

The Monsterverse & Godzilla Minus One’s Differences Are Great For Godzilla’s Future

There Can Be Two Great Godzilla Franchises Going Forward

Watching Godzilla Minus One made me even more thankful for the Monsterverse. After the last two Toho-produced Godzilla movies, I have no confusion about the direction the studio wants to take Godzilla. Shin Godzilla and Godzilla Minus One make it apparent that its aim is for its films to be more like the original movies and the ones that released in the 1990s. With that in mind, I have no reason to expect future Godzilla movies from Toho to revisit the Showa era like they did with Godzilla: Final Wars in 2004, which is all the more reason for me to want the Monsterverse to stay alive for decades to come.

I have no idea if a Godzilla Minus One sequel is going to happen, but I’m hopeful that its story continues as well. A follow-up to it, plus new installments from the Monsterverse, could make for a great and prosperous future for Godzilla that includes room for great storytelling and exciting monster action. To me, there being two separate Godzilla franchises on opposite trajectories is the ideal way – if not the only way – to do justice to these two sides of the iconic kaiju’s history. I see it as an opportunity for us to have the best of both worlds.