Godzilla: King of the Monsters Star Ken Watanabe on Returning to the Franchise

Godzilla: King of the Monsters will be introducing plenty of new faces and situations to go along with the newly introduced Kaiju like King Ghidorah, but the titular Godzilla is not the only familiar face from the 2014 that fans will see in the big sequel. Ken Watanabe is returning for the sequel to once again portray Dr. Ishiro Serizawa, and fans are definitely excited to see the kind of knowledge the character will bring to the story once more.

But how does Watanabe himself feel about coming back for the sequel? Speaking with ComicBook.com, Watanabe did admit he was feeling a little nervous joining the franchise initially due to the pressure of such a big undertaking, but it’s a much different story for the sequel.

Opening up about how he felt about his return, Watanabe explained, “First feeling is like a little nervous before the opening.” Watanabe mentioned how Godzilla fans from around the world were adding onto this feeling as they try and figure out what’s going to happen before the film opened too. But he also mentioned feeling a responsibility in representing the original Japanese franchise in a faithful way.

As Watanabe revealed, “I’m a Japanese actor. I owe something, a responsibility [to] the Japanese icon. How can I present this Japanese icon to Godzilla fans?” But his approach to the sequel is much different as the franchise has grown up in the last few years since the first one’s release in 2014, “The second one it’s not just only a ‘Japanese icon,’ it’s a world icon. Not nervous.”

Directed by Michael Dougherty, Godzilla: King of the Monsters stars Millie Bobby Brown, Vera Farmiga, Sally Hawkins, Kyle Chandler, O’Shea Jackson Jr., and Bradley Whitford among many other talents so Ken Watanabe will be in good company for the big sequel. The film is currently scheduled to hit theaters May 31st with Godzilla vs. Kong scheduled for a 2020 release after.

The synopsis for Godzilla: King of the Monsters reads as such, “The new story follows the heroic efforts of the cryptozoological agency Monarch as its members face off against a battery of god sized monsters, including the mighty Godzilla, who collides with Mothra, Rodan, and his ultimate nemesis, the three headed King Ghidorah. When these ancient superspecies, thought to be mere myths, rise again, they all vie for supremacy, leaving humanity’s very existence hanging in the balance.”