The Big Picture

MonsterVerse films often feature post-credit teases for upcoming installments, but
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
doesn’t.
The future of the MonsterVerse after Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire suggests potential for new monster team-ups and introducing new kaiju creatures.
The success of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire will determine the future of the MonsterVerse, balancing serious themes with spectacle.

While Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire certainly teases the potential that the franchise had ahead of it, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire does not have any mid or post-credit scenes. Although audiences may have had their fill of crossover franchises in the wake of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Legendary’s MonsterVerse has emerged as one of the few film sagas that have done it right. While 2014’s Godzilla, 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, and 2019’s Godzilla: King of the Monsters were all largely entertaining monster movies in their own right, they incorporated connective tissue that teased the crossover event of Godzilla vs. Kong. Despite being released in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic during Warner Brothers’ “Project Popcorn” era, Godzilla vs. Kong was successful enough to greenlight the new sequel, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Kong and the fearsome Godzilla face off against a colossal undiscovered threat hidden within our world, challenging their very existence – and our own.Release Date March 29, 2024 Runtime 1h 55m

The MonsterVerse Has a History of Post-Credit Scenes

Although the films of Marvel Studios popularized the notion of a post-credit stinger, it’s certainly not the only franchise that has forced viewers to stay after the credits for a tease of what’s to come. Several films in the MonsterVerse have included post-credit scenes that laid the groundwork for upcoming installments. Kong: Skull Island included a moment that introduced Rodan, Mothra, and King Ghidorah to the universe, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters ended by showing that Alan Jonah (Charles Dance) had purchased Ghidora’s severed head.

Considering that Godzilla vs. Kong did not include a post-credit scene, it’s not entirely surprising that Adam Wingard’s second entry in the MonsterVerse also doesn’t have one. Although post-credit scenes are often used to promote upcoming projects that are approaching their release dates, there are not currently any new MonsterVerse films in production. Although the ending of the Apple TV+ television show Monarch: Legacy of Monsters teased that Apex had taken control of Skull Island, it’s not clear how that could tie into future films.

Although they were once an enjoyable reason to stay until the end of the film, post-credit scenes have grown less effective and more cynical over the last few years. Audiences have become sick of post-credit scenes that amount to nothing, so the fact that Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire does not feature any gimmicks at the end is fairly refreshing. It’s likely that a third film will be announced if Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a commercial success, but Legendary has thankfully not jumped the gun by announcing anything it doesn’t intend to complete.

Where Does the MonsterVerse Go Next?

Although it ends with one of the franchise’s biggest brawls, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire suggests that there will be more monster team-ups in the future. While Godzilla, Kong, and Mothra are now united in their efforts to protect humanity, it seems likely that their reign will go unchallenged. Considering that kaiju creatures like Gorosaurus, Megaguirus, Destroyah, and Gigan have yet to make their debut in the MonsterVerse, it’s possible that Legendary may try to incorporate these characters in subsequent installments in the series.

While the overwhelming success of Toho’s Godzilla Minus One shows that enthusiasm for the franchise is at an all-time high, it also indicates that audiences may be more interested in the more serious interpretation of the characters. With its eccentric characters, frequent use of 1980s music, and over-the-top visual spectacle, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is certainly the silliest installment in the MonsterVerse yet. Whether that is a good thing is yet to be determined.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is in theaters on March 29.

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