Godzilla x Kong Director Hints at Godzilla's Death
The King of the Monsters might be heading to the grave according to the director of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.
Adam Wingard is flying high thanks to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire becoming the biggest movie of the MonsterVerse and one of the biggest movies of 2024. Making the press circuit to help hype the latest kaiju crossover, Wingard took the opportunity to highlight one of his favorite films focusing on the king of the monsters. In revealing one of his favorite kaiju movies, The New Empire might be hinting at not only the return of Godzilla but the death of the lizard king as well.
In speaking with Discussing Film, Wingard talked about his love of Godzilla Vs. Destroyah, the 1995 film released in Japan that pit the king of the monsters against one of the biggest and baddest giant beasts introduced in the Toho universe. ""I'll say this, one of my top Godzilla movies is Godzilla vs. Destoroyah." Wingard said, "The reason it's one of my favorite films is I don't think any other Godzilla movie, maybe outside of Minus One and the 1954 original, has ever hit such emotional highs. The ending of that film, when Godzilla Jr. dies and, subsequently, Godzilla melts to death, is so poignant and also beautiful in the way that they do it. The first time I saw it, it brought tears to my eyes. And part of that is thanks to Akira Ifukube's grand score that plays in that scene."
Will Destroyah Enter The MonsterVerse?
While this doesn't necessarily mean that Godzilla will meet his end in the next chapter of the MonsterVerse, Wingard states in the interview that he is looking to add an emotional moment in the future on that same level, "It's crazy because you look at [Godzilla vs. Destoroyah], and it's a very high-end version of having a guy in a Godzilla suit. I would say it's probably the peak of it because I don't think it's been matched in terms of that version — the quality and the scale of having Godzilla brought to life through an actor in a suit. But that's the thing for me, if I were going to do another one of these films, I would want to hit that kind of emotional resonance with Godzilla as a character this time. That's what I'll say for now."
Currently, the future remains a mystery for the MonsterVerse. Despite The New Empire's success, and the success of Apple TV+'s Monarch: Legacy of the Monsters, no new project has been confirmed. It's a safe bet however that we'll see this kaiju universe make some sort of return in the future.