The third chapter in the Godzilla x Kong saga will be titled Supernova. The film's official date has been revealed, along with a rough 2027 release date. Now, eleven years into the Monsterverse, we have seen many super-sized beasties do battle against Kong and Godzilla, ranging from Kaiju of classic cinema to newly imagined monsters we've never seen before. But what is the next direction of this newest installment?
Given the vast history of lore that both Godzilla and Kong have to draw from their previous outings, the potential for returning legacy monsters of old is huge. But Legendary has proven to be capable of creating new and exciting adversaries to do battle with our titular Titans already. The question is: what can we expect from the few details we've been given so far?
What does "Supernova" refer to?
With a title like Supernova, it has lead many fans to start wondering just what that could be referring to. Amongst Godzilla's pantheon of enemies, there are only a few whom such a dread inspired name could appropriately be handed off to.
Mecha King Ghidorah
Ghidorah, or Monster X as he is commonly known as, made his debut into the Monsterverse in 2019's Godzilla: King of the Monsters. The three-headed dragon is a staple of the original Toho films, and most well-known for acting as Godzilla's archnemesis. Throughout his many iterations, Ghidorah has always hailed from a far away world, coming to Earth to claim it has his own, stopped only by Godzilla himself.
In the 1991 film, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, we saw a mechanized version of Ghidorah be brought to life in the wake of the dragon's defeat at the hands of the G-man. Despite Ghidorah's death in King of the Monsters, the foundations are there to bring in his mechanized reincarnation to battle against Kong and Godzilla for the upcoming film. Though, this may be less likely, as the Monterverse is more committed to staying relatively grounded in its worldbuilding approach with the Titans (grounded is used very loosely here).
Chances of audiences seeing King Ghidorah's robotic counterpart at all would most likely see him be used as a minor antagonist rather than the center-stage heavyweight.
Destoroyah
Having first—and only—appeared in the 1996 film Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, this monster is one of Godzilla's most mysterious and important rivals.
Destoroyah's origins are tied to the original self-titled Godzilla film from 1954. The oxygen destroyer that was used to neutralize the giant lizard in the 1954 film enabled a group of microscopic organisms in Tokyo Bay to mutate through five various forms, with the final version culminating in a highly aggressive kaiju known as Destoroyah. This monster went on to have a climactic final battle with Godzilla, ultimately losing the battle against the King of the Monsters. But Destoroyah managed to leave its opponent with mortal wounds, and was the only combatant amongst Godzilla's roster of enemies to have successfully killed him.
Many long-time fans have petitioned for this iconic monster to appear the Monsterverse. However, some have articulated that he would be best utilized as the final villain of the series. Chances are that if Destoroyah does debut in the Monsterverse, it will likely be a later film toward the series' end.
SpaceGodzilla
Perhaps considered one of Godzilla's most obscure foes, is his counterpart from amongst the stars: SpaceGodzilla. Having first appeared in the 1994 film Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, this monster is a version of Godzilla that grew from his cells inside of a black hole, then crash landed on Earth and mutated into a deformed version of Godzilla covered in silver crystals. Despite being a mirror image of Godzilla, SpaceGodzilla was still dispatched by his base counterpart.
Even though this monster has only appeared in a single entry within Toho's long-running series, SpaceGodzilla has become a major fan favorite amongst the community. Considering his origins of being from the stars, and the new film's official title being Supernova, there is a very high chance that this is the monster we'll be seeing make its entrance as the next villain of the Monsterverse. Though, of course, we will just have to wait and see when the movie drops in 2027.
The future is bright for the Monsterverse
The success of Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire has ensured that the Monsterverse is safe to continue full steam ahead. And judging by the fan reception from the Godzilla x Kong: Supernova teaser trailer, the series still has a bright and healthy future ahead of it.
Are you excited for this new chapter within the world of Titans?