How Does Godzilla: King of the Monsters Set Up Godzilla vs Kong?

Godzilla: King of the Monsters isn’t just a sequel to Gareth Edwards’ divisive 2014 film – it’s also the launchpad for Warner Bros. big Monsterverse franchise crossover between Godzilla and Kong. The two monsters will collide in Godzilla vs. Kong next year, which leaves fans with one big question going into Godzilla 2:

How does Godzilla: King of the Monsters setup Godzilla vs. Kong?

(Warning – SPOILERS follow!)

The answer to how Godzilla: King of the Monsters sets up Godzilla vs. Kong is multifaceted. King of the Monsters lives up to its namesake by having its major storyline focus on establishing the rules and behavior of Earth’s “Titans” – including how they determine and then follow an alpha leader. While Godzilla 2 focuses on the rivalry between Godzilla and Ghidorah for the title of ‘King of the Titans,’ there are multiple hints and teases throughout the movie that the battle for Titan supremacy has been waged between Godzilla and Kong throughout the ages.

The biggest tease of that rivalry comes during King of the Monsters’ credits sequence, in which multiple news reports and clippings are used to move the action along and set the stage for Godzilla vs. Kong. According to the news reports, the finale of King of the Monsters (which sees an squad of Titans invade and destroy major cities – including Washington D.C.) forces Monarch to reveal its secrets about the Titan threat to the public. Meanwhile, the Titans follow new King Godzilla to Skull Island for some mysterious purpose, with Monarch following along. Finally, there are teases that a new version of Kong may be waiting to greet the group, when they arrive.

Whatever is going down on Skull Island, the unique locale is about to see tourism go WAY up. With the Hollow Earth pockets that exist beneath the island, it’s entirely possible that Godzilla vs. Kong could finally take us into the subterranean world. However, the Titans, Monarch, and the two contenders for king (Godzilla and Kong) may not be the only thing that King of the Monsters set the stage for: A final post-credits scene sees mercenary Alan Jonah (Charles Dance) obtain a severed head of Ghidorah. As longtime Godzilla fans quickly recognized, that tease could be set up for Mecha-Ghidorah and/or Mecha-Godzilla to make an appearance in Godzilla vs. Kong. That would give the two king Titans an easy out for why they need to ultimately put rivalry aside and combine forces.

Did you see Godzilla: King of the Monsters? Are you now excited for Godzilla vs. Kong? Let us know in the comments!