The Big Picture

Showa era Godzilla films shaped
Godzilla x Kong
‘s concept and ambition.
Monsters fight or team up in Showa era films – a major inspiration for director Adam Wingard.
Wingard hints at a potential third film, continuing to draw from the vast Godzilla history.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire became a kaiju-sized hit at the box office over the Easter weekend, following in the footsteps of its predecessor Godzilla vs. Kong. It’s not hard to see why: both films are stuffed full to the brim with giant monsters fighting each other or teaming up to fight other giant monsters. They’re also a labor of love for director Adam Wingard, who’s been open about the films that inspired Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong.

Wingard cites the Showa era of Godzilla films as his major inspiration. “Those were the movies that were playing on daytime television when I was a kid,” he told Den of Geek. “So that’s where my inspiration from Godzilla really originates.” Indeed, plenty of elements that were present in the Showa era Godzilla films are scattered throughout Godzilla vs Kong and Godzilla x Kong.

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 Showa Era of Godzilla Featured the Monster Fighting or Joining Forces with Other Kaiju
The Godzilla franchise is often divided into different eras, with each one corresponding to the Emperor who reigned over Japan at the time. While it’s not the only Japanese franchise to use this demarcation, as the Kamen Rider shows are also divided into similar eras, Godzilla set the trend. The Showa era of Godzilla films lasted from 1954 with the original Godzilla to 1975 with Terror of Mechagodzilla. While the original Godzilla is renowned for being a chilling parable about the destructive force of nuclear weapons, the rest of the Showa era pits the King of the Monsters against other monsters or has him joining forces with them.

Toho Studios didn’t waste any time, as the second ever Godzilla film, Godzilla Raids Again, brought Godzilla back from the depths of the sea to fight the prehistoric Angirus. As if that wasn’t enough, King Kong vs. Godzilla served as the first matchup between the King of the Monsters and the Eighth Wonder of the World (as well as their first ever appearance in a color film). It wasn’t until Ghidorah, The Three-Headed Monster in 1964 that Godzilla became more of a heroic figure – joining forces with Mothra and Rodan to battle the interstellar menace of King Ghidorah. In fact, the Showa era introduced several iconic monsters, including Godzilla’s robotic opposite, Mechagodzilla.

Adam Wingard Embraces The ‘Anything Goes’ Spirit of the Showa Era

Wingard’s films embody the Showa era both in concept and ambition, as they both deliver a spectacle that can only be achieved by having giant monsters fight each other. In fact, the entire plot of Godzilla vs. Kong kicks off when Monarch, the organization at the heart of the MonsterVerse, and its competitor Apex both launch separate initiatives that pit Godzilla and Kong against each other. Godzilla x Kong flips the script by having the two work together to defeat the menace of the Skar King. Both films also introduce new ways for the titular monsters to defeat their foes. Kong gets an ax that can absorb energy in Godzilla vs. Kong and a metallic glove in Godzilla x Kong, while Godzilla absorbs radiation to transform into a new form.

Godzilla vs. Kong and Godzilla x Kong also exist side by side with Shin Godzilla and Godzilla Minus One, which both hearken back to the King of the Monsters’ original film. It’s proof that Godzilla can exist in multiple forms, as well as the fact that the filmmakers behind each project understand the vast history surrounding the giant radioactive lizard. Wingard has all but hinted he has a third film in mind, so it’ll be interesting to see what other elements from the Showa era permeate the next MonsterVerse film.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is now playing in theaters

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