Below is a clean, punctuated overview of every MonsterVerse movie released so
far, plus the next instalment already on the calendar.
1. Godzilla (2014)
It is a 2014 American monster film directed by Gareth Edwards.
It is a reboot of Toho's Godzilla franchise and the first film
in Legendary's MonsterVerse franchise.
It is the 30th film in the Godzilla franchise
and the second Godzilla film to be completely produced by a
Hollywood studio.
In the film, an American soldier attempts to return to his
family while caught in the crossfire of an ancient rivalry between Godzilla and
two parasitic monsters known as MUTOs.
The film reimagines Godzilla's origins and is set 15 years
after a nuclear meltdown in Japan which was caused by giant parasitic creatures
known as “MUTOs” (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism).
As two MUTOs ravage the countryside in order to reproduce,
they awaken an even larger ancient alpha predator known as Godzilla, whose
existence has been kept secret by the U.S. government since 1954.
The film introduces Godzilla, the MUTOs and the Monarch
organization to the MonsterVerse.
Godzilla was theatrically released on May 16th
2014.
The film received generally positive reviews from critics,
who praised the direction, visual effects, music, cinematography, respect to
the source material and Cranston's performance, but criticised the script,
characters and Godzilla's insufficient screen time.
The film was a box office success, grossing 529.1 million
dollars worldwide against a production budget of 160 million dollars, print and
advertisement costs of 100 million dollars and a break‑even point of 380
million dollars.
The film's success prompted Toho to produce a reboot of
their own, titled Shin Godzilla, and Legendary to proceed with
sequels and a shared cinematic franchise.
2. Kong: Skull Island (2017)
It is a 2017 American monster film directed by Jordan Vogt‑Roberts. It is a reboot of the King Kong franchise and the second film in the MonsterVerse franchise.Set in 1973, the film follows a team of scientists and
Vietnam War soldiers travelling to an uncharted island in the Pacific where
they encounter terrifying creatures and the mighty Kong.
The film introduces Kong, the Mother Longlegs, the Sker
Buffalo, the Mire Squid, the Leafwing, the Psychovulture, the Spore Mantis, the
Skull Devil and the Skullcrawlers to the MonsterVerse, and a post‑credits scene
introduces Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah to the MonsterVerse.
The Skull Devil was originally trademarked as “Ramarak the
Skullcrawler” until it was abandoned in September 2017. The project initially
began at Universal Pictures as an origin story but was later moved to Warner
Bros.
It was theatrically released on March 10th 2017 by Warner
Bros. Pictures to generally positive reviews from critics.
It was a box office success, grossing 569 million dollars
against a 185 million dollar budget and received a nomination for Best Visual
Effects at the 90th Academy Awards.
A sequel, Godzilla vs Kong, was released in 2021
and an animated series, Skull Island, was released in 2023.
3. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
It is a 2019 American monster film produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. Co‑written and directed by Michael Dougherty, it is a sequel to Godzilla (2014) and the third film in the MonsterVerse.
It is also the 35th film in the Godzilla franchise and the
third Godzilla film to be completely produced by a Hollywood
studio.
In the film, eco‑terrorists release King Ghidorah, who
awakens other monsters known as “Titans” across the world, forcing Godzilla and
Mothra to surface and engage Ghidorah and Rodan in a decisive battle.
The film changes the monsters’ designation from “MUTOs” to “Titans.”
The film introduces Scylla, Methuselah, Behemoth and the
Queen MUTO to the MonsterVerse. Off‑screen, the film introduces Baphomet,
Typhon, Mokele‑Mbembe, Tiamat, Abaddon, Leviathan and Bunyip to the
MonsterVerse.
It was theatrically released on May 31th 2019 to mixed
reviews from critics, with praise for its visual effects, action sequences,
cinematography and musical score but with criticism of the plot, pacing, tone
and characters.
The film was a box‑office disappointment, grossing 387.3 million dollars worldwide against a production budget of 170–200 million dollars and marketing costs of 100–150 million dollars, marking it the lowest‑grossing film in the MonsterVerse.
A sequel, Godzilla vs Kong, was released on March 24th 2021.
4. Godzilla vs Kong (2021)
It is a 2021 American monster film directed by Adam Wingard. Produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a sequel to Kong: Skull Island (2017) and Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and is the fourth film in the MonsterVerse.
It is also the 36th film in the Godzilla franchise,
the 12th film in the King Kong franchise and the fourth Godzilla film
to be completely produced by an American film studio.
Brown and Chandler reprise their roles from the
previous Godzilla film.
In the film, Kong clashes with Godzilla after the Monarch organization moves
the ape from Skull Island to the Hollow Earth, homeworld of the monsters known
as “Titans,” to retrieve a power source for a secret weapon intended to stop
Godzilla's mysterious attacks.
After being delayed from a November 2020 release date due to
the COVID‑19 pandemic, Godzilla vs Kong was theatrically
released internationally on March 24th 2021 and in the United States on March
31st, where it was released on HBO Max simultaneously.
The film received generally positive reviews from critics,
with praise for the visual effects and action sequences but criticism towards
the human characters.
It broke several pandemic box office records and grossed 470
million dollars worldwide, against a production budget between 155–200 million
dollars and a break‑even point of 330 million dollars, making it the eighth‑highest‑grossing
film of 2021.
The film was a streaming hit, becoming the most successful launch title in HBO
Max's history until it was overtaken by Mortal Kombat.
A sequel, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, also
directed by Wingard, was released on March 29th 2024.
5. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
It is a 2024 American monster film produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is the sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) and the fifth film in the MonsterVerse franchise, also serving as the 38th film of the Godzilla franchise and 13th in the King Kong franchise. It is directed and co‑written by Adam Wingard.In the film, Kong encounters more of his species in the
Hollow Earth and must unite again with Godzilla to stop the tyrannical Skar
King and the powerful, frost‑breathing Shimo from invading the Earth's surface.
It premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theatre on March 25th 2024
and was released in the United States on March 29th.
The film received mixed reviews from critics, with many
comparing it unfavourably to Godzilla Minus One, which had been
released four months prior.
It grossed 572.3 million dollars worldwide against a
production budget of 135–150 million dollars, becoming the eighth‑highest‑grossing
film of 2024 and the highest‑grossing film of the MonsterVerse, as well as in
the Godzilla and King Kong franchises.
A sequel, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, is slated
for March 26th 2027.
6. Godzilla x Kong: Supernova (2027 – upcoming)
It is an upcoming American monster film directed by Grant Sputore. Produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, it is a sequel to Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) and the sixth film in the MonsterVerse franchise, also serving as the 39th film of the Godzilla franchise and 14th in the King Kong franchise.
Following the success of Godzilla x Kong: The New
Empire in March 2024, a sequel was announced the following May, with
Callaham set to write the screenplay.
Sputore was hired to direct the following month, after Adam
Wingard would not return to direct a third film featuring Godzilla and Kong due
to scheduling conflicts and commitments with his upcoming film Onslaught.
Principal photography commenced in April 2025 at Village
Roadshow Studios in Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia.
The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on March 26th 2027.
Looking for more cinematic universes, long-running sagas, and connected movie timelines? Dive into these in‑depth franchise guides:
- Batman: The Legendary Backbone of the DC Animated Universe
https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/batman-legendary-backbone-of-dc.html - The Ocean’s Film Franchise – Movies in Order & How They Connect
https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/the-oceans-film-franchise-movies_15.html - The Wizarding World – 20 Years of Harry Potter Movies
https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/the-wizarding-world-20-years-of-harry.html - The Conjuring Universe – Complete Horror Franchise Experience
https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/experience-conjuring-universe.html - Complete Alien Film Series Breakdown
https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/complete-alien-film-series-breakdown.html
Wrap‑up and CTA for Cinema Awards Archive
If you enjoy the MonsterVerse’s blend of classic kaiju
mayhem and modern franchise storytelling, now is the perfect time to rewatch
from Godzilla (2014) through Godzilla x Kong: The New
Empire before Supernova arrives.
Which MonsterVerse movie is your favourite, and which titan do you think
deserves the crown?
Drop your ranking in the comments and check out my full
video breakdown on YouTube at Cinema Awards Archive, where I cover
monster franchises, box office runs and awards‑season chances in even more
detail.
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