2014’s Godzilla reintroduced global audiences to the original kaiju, with the ending of the film setting the stage for the ensuing Monsterverse that has impressed the box office for a decade now. Godzilla focuses on the aftermath of Godzilla’s return years after he was last seen, causing massive destruction across the globe. At the same time, however, a pair of other monstrous creatures referred to as MUTOs make their presence known on the world stage.
While Godzilla 2014 characters like Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s soldier Ford Brody and Ken Watanabe’s scientist Dr. Ishirō Serizawa try to respond to the crisis, they discover more about the conflict and their place in the natural order. As the monsters finally come to blows, humanity must reckon with their errors and how they can respond. With the ensuing Monsterverse set to return to the big screen in 2024 with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, it’s worth revisiting 2014’s Godzilla and tracking all the seeds in that film that have since blossomed into a resurgence for the kaiju-driven sci-fi/action genre.
The MonsterVerse May Finally Show Godzilla 2014’s Missing Fight
Details indicate that the MonsterVerse may finally show the missing parts of Godzilla’s fight with the MUTOs in his upcoming Apple TV+ series.
Where Does Godzilla Go At The Ending Of Godzilla (2014)
2014’s Godzilla builds to a confrontation between Godzilla and the two MUTOs. After killing the pair, Godzilla wakes up the next day to return to the sea, leaving humanity relieved by his assistance — and terrified of his potential return. Godzilla likely retreated to his natural habitat in the South Pacific, near Bikini Atoll. Godzilla may have also relocated to one of his other hideouts hidden away from the eyes of humanity, like the ancient underwater city seen in Godzilla: King of the Monsters, or somewhere in the Hollow Earth that was further explored in Godzilla vs. Kong.
In other incarnations, Godzilla’s origins have been tweaked. He’s been everything from the Earth’s protector to a dangerous threat, leaving his potential role in the (at the time) new franchise a major question mark. Godzilla’s rampage in the 2014 film is revealed to be in response to the dangers posed by the MUTO, and humanity ends the film cheering for Godzilla. There’s still an undercurrent of danger associated with him, as Godzilla’s battles resulted in numerous civilian deaths. Godzilla’s potential as a threat remained a major undercurrent, especially Godzilla: King of the Monsters and Godzilla vs. Kong.
What Happened To Ford Brody After Godzilla
Much of the human focus in Godzilla is on the Brody family. Beyond Ford, there’s his wife Elle (played by Elizabeth Olsen), their son Sam (played by Carson Bolde), and his father Joe (played by Bryan Cranston). Joe had previously worked for Monarch alongside Serizawa. Joe dies from injuries suffered in the MUTO breaking loose back onto the Earth, leaving Ford to carry on without him. Ford plays a major role in the film’s climax, removing an active warhead from the MUTO nest in San Francisco. Doing so distracts the MUTO at a crucial junction, helping Godzilla defeat them.
The Brody family hasn’t played much of a role in the franchise since Godzilla, including Ford. None of the family have appeared in subsequent films in the series or even related tie-ins. As a result, it’s safe to assume that Brody is still alive in the Monsterverse, as his death would likely be commented on. The series hasn’t forgotten him though. A battleship is briefly mentioned in Godzilla: King of the Monsters to have been named the USS Brody, implying that the military paid tribute to the sacrifices of the Brody family by naming one of their ships after them.
Godzilla 2014’s 3 Cut Titans Explained
In addition to the MUTOs, three more Titans were designed for Godzilla’s first MonsterVerse movie. Here’s what they would have looked like.
Which Characters From Godzilla Became Fixtures Of The Monsterverse?
The primary human characters in Godzilla were largely related to the Brody family, who have not reappeared in the franchise since Godzilla. However, the film also introduced Serizawa, who was quickly established in- universe as a leading expert on the giant monsters and Godzilla in particular. A scientist with Monarch, the increased attention of massive creatures around the world resulted in the character having an expanded role in the subsequent Godzilla: King of the Monsters. In that film, Serizawa’s respect for Godzilla resulted in him becoming Godzilla’s biggest champion among humanity.
Despite Serizawa’s efforts, his arguments that Godzilla is a key piece of the natural order largely fell upon deaf ears. Serizawa played a key role in Godzilla: King of the Monsters as the other Titans emerge around the world. Serizawa argues that Godzilla was a more benign and noble figure to side with over the dangers posed by Ghidorah. Serizawa ultimately sacrificed his own life to help revive Godzilla during that film, activating a warhead next to the Titan to help him recover from the Oxygen Bomb that had been deployed against him.
How Godzilla Set Up Monarch’s Role In The Monsterverse
The other major set-up from Godzilla was the introduction of Monarch. Established in-universe as an international organization dedicated to tracking Titans worldwide, Monarch was founded in the aftermath of monster sightings in the 1950s. By the time of Godzilla, Monarch has already been moving behind the scenes for decades. However, the public revelation about the Titans confirmed their existence in the aftermath of Godzilla’s battle with the MUTO leaving Monarch much more exposed to public scrutiny. Later films and shows in the franchise would expand on Monarch’s early days and future missions.
Godzilla also established that Monarch had been around for decades before the events of the film, setting up plenty of questions about what the organization had been doing during the 20th century. This opened up room for films like Kong: Skull Island and shows like Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which explored the history of the group and the impact it had on the world. Monarch has become the connective tissue between the various creatures and settings introduced in the film, steadily becoming more and more important to the franchise after debuting in Godzilla.
The Real Meaning Of Godzilla’s Ending
The ending of Godzilla was an interesting exploration of what the concept can mean for the world. For much of the film, humanity is wracked with fear over Godzilla’s potentially dangerous impact on the world. However, they quickly change their tune when they realize how heroic the Titan can be, and how important his role in fighting the MUTOs is. Godzilla is a dangerous force of nature, and combating it instead of trying to work with it initially almost dooms humanity. However, when the US Army shifts gears and cleans up its own mistakes, the natural order restores itself.
This message of eco-responsibility is highlighted by Godzilla being a force of nature, willing to raze any threat down. Godzilla’s defeat of the MUTO establishes that the Titan doesn’t want to wipe out humanity though, if not overtly work alongside them. This seeming respect would be repeated in future films, with Godzilla portrayed as possessing a certain amount of understanding and awareness of humanity’s ability to help. The ending of Godzilla set the stage for the Titans return and affirms that in this incarnation, Godzilla is willing to fight to maintain his status as the King of the Monsters.
Godzilla (2014)
Godzilla is a 2014 American reboot of the popular kaiju property and the first film in Legendary’s Monsterverse franchise. The film centers around Ford Brody (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) who travels to Japan after his father Joe (Bryan Cranston) is detained for trying to uncover the truth about his wife’s death 15 years prior. Together they fight to survive as Joe’s conspiracy theory becomes true and giant monsters begin attacking the world.
- Director
- Gareth Edwards
- Release Date
- May 16, 2014
- Studio(s)
- Legendary Pictures
- Writers
- Max Borenstein , David Callaham
- Cast
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson , Bryan Cranston , Elizabeth Olsen , Ken Watanabe , Sally Hawkins , Vera Farmiga , David Strathairn
