5 Years Ago, A Giant Monster Rematch Finally Happened After Sixty Years (And Changed a Franchise Forever)

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe revolutionized the film industry. Before Marvel, simply making sequels was common practice. Now, studios want interconnected universes with sequels, spin-off movies, TV series, and even books, all tied together under one brand. While many of these attempts haven’t succeeded – despite not being destined to fail – we’ve seen several fall quickly. Examples include the failed Dark Universe (inspired by classic monster movies), the Amazing Spider-Man universe, and Sony’s Spider-Man Universe. The most prominent case is the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), which is largely finished, though a few elements, like Viola Davis’s casting and the character Peacemaker, might continue.

Currently, only a few film franchises feel truly vibrant: Star Wars, John Wick, the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), and the recently rebooted DC Universe (DCU). However, many believe the MonsterVerse is actually in the best shape of all these shared universes. And for those who’ve been following it since the beginning, its success wasn’t always a sure thing.

What Did Godzilla vs. Kong Do For the MonsterVerse?

When Godzilla premiered in the busy summer of 2014, it earned nearly $93.8 million domestically over its opening weekend. However, its performance declined quickly after that, finishing with a total of $200.6 million in the US and $324.3 million internationally. These numbers weren’t terrible, but they weren’t particularly outstanding either.

For comparison, Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla earned $44 million when it was released in 1998, which is about $64 million today. While the film wasn’t a huge success, it held up better over time than some others. Its total domestic earnings of $136.3 million would be around $198 million now – almost the same as the 2014 Godzilla movie. Globally, it made $242.7 million, which adjusts to $352.5 million today – roughly $28 million more than Gareth Edwards’ 2014 reboot earned.

As a huge cinema fan, I always find it interesting to look back at how franchises begin. With Roland Emmerich’s Godzilla, it just didn’t quite launch like everyone hoped – it never really blossomed into a series, let alone a full-blown cinematic universe. While the negative reviews from both critics and audiences definitely played a role, it shows the MonsterVerse got off to a bit of a shaky start. And things didn’t immediately improve – five years later, Godzilla: King of the Monsters actually earned around $138 million less worldwide than the first film, despite costing $10 million more to make!

A sequel performing like that usually spells the end for a movie series. Luckily, for everyone involved with the MonsterVerse and Godzilla fans, Godzilla vs. Kong finished filming a month before Godzilla: King of the Monsters came out. That meant it wasn’t too late to save the franchise.

Despite opening as theaters cautiously reopened, Godzilla vs. Kong actually performed very well, earning $117 million more than King of the Monsters – even with being released on HBO Max at the same time. The film also successfully connected the first three movies in the series – including Kong: Skull Island, which did reasonably well – by bringing Godzilla, King Kong, and a continuation of the King Ghidorah storyline (through the new Mechagodzilla) all together in one universe.

This movie stood out as the most consistently enjoyable installment in the series, and it also offered a surprisingly emotional core thanks to the characters Dr. Ilene Andrews and Jia. However, since its release in 2021, the franchise seems to be struggling to move beyond it. The subsequent films have all focused on Godzilla and Kong—either with titles starting with Godzilla x Kong or, like the series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, heavily featuring these two iconic monsters.

It’s understandable why Godzilla and King Kong are central to the MonsterVerse – they’re the most famous giant monsters. However, the franchise will eventually need to introduce a wider variety of creatures. For now, though, we should appreciate Adam Wingard’s Godzilla vs. Kong for establishing the distinct style and feel that the entire series has maintained.

What’s your favorite MonsterVerse movie or show? Share your thoughts in the comments and discuss it with other fans in the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-31 17:45