How to Watch the MonsterVerse Movies in Order
“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” is finally here.
And with it the sound and fury of a bunch of giant monsters, led (of course) by Godzilla and Kong, muscling for dominance over the human world. Incredibly, this is the fifth film in Legendary’s MonsterVerse, a series of interconnected movies (and two streaming series) that adapts the classic Toho monsters for an entirely new generation.
But where does “Godzilla x Kong” (the “x” is silent) fit into the chronology of the MonsterVerse movies and shows? That’s a great question, and one that we answer now. Just to remember – Monarch is the secretive government agency tasked with tracking the Titans (referred to as MUTOs in “Godzilla” 2014 – which stood for Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organism). Godzilla is a Titan, as is Kong.
With that out of the way, let’s dig into the order of MonsterVerse shows and movies.
MonsterVerse Movies and Shows in Chronological Order
Ready to take a trip to the MonsterVerse timeline?
“Kong: Skull Island” (2017)
Set immediately after the events of Vietnam, the movie follows a Monarch expedition to Skull Island, the home of Kong and an outpost, in a way, for Hollow Earth, the mysterious underground realm where monsters dwell.
“Skull Island” (2023)
This surprisingly intense animated series for Netflix takes place in the 1990s and follows a group of explorers who wash up on the shores of Skull Island. Much of the iconography and creatures of “Kong: Skull Island” return, including the skull crawlers.
“Godzilla” (2014)
“Godzilla” takes place contemporaneously – in 2014, when Godzilla is lured back to take care of a couple of rambunctious MUTOs. He does end up destroying much of San Francisco in the process, but that’s okay. We still love him.
“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” (2023)
The Apple TV+ prestige drama, set mostly within the ranks of Monarch, the aforementioned mysterious government agency, takes place in two distinct timelines, but the main timeline is 2015, one year after the emergency of Godzilla (referred to as G-Day in the series). The other timeline would make it the very first MonsterVerse series since it takes place in the 1950s, around the time of the original Japanese film. (You actually see the decisions that go into dropping the nuke on Godzilla at the Bikini Atoll.)
“Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019)
This oops, all monsters sequel to “Godzilla” (2014) takes place five years after the events of that earlier film/G-Day. It introduces classic Toho characters Mothra, King Ghidorah / Monster X and Rodan to the MonsterVerse.
“Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021)
“Godzilla vs. Kong” takes place five years after the events of “Godzilla: King of the Monsters,” following through on seeds that had been sewed in movies dating back to “Skull Island” (where cave paintings depict Godzilla and Kong).
“Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” (2024)
A direct sequel to “Godzilla vs. Kong,” “Godzilla x Kong” takes shortly after the events of the earlier film. Godzilla is keeping watch over the surface world, while Kong is in Hollow Earth, making sure peace is kept. Spoiler alert: they blow it.
MonsterVerse Movies and Shows in Release Order
• “Godzilla” (2014)
• “Kong: Skull Island” (2017)
• “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019)
• “Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021)
• “Skull Island” (2023)
• “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” (2023)
• “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” (2024)
Japanese “Godzilla” Movies in Release Order
• “Godzilla” (1954)
• “Godzilla Raids Again” (1955)
• “King Kong vs. Godzilla” (1962)
• “Mothra vs. Godzilla” (1964)
• “Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster” (1964)
• “Invasion of Astro-Monster” (1965)
• “Ebirah, Horror of the Deep” (1966)
• “Son of Godzilla” (1967)
• “Destroy All Monsters” (1968)
• “All. Monsters Attack” (1969)
• “Godzilla vs. Hedorah” (1971)
• “Godzilla vs. Gigan” (1972)
• “Godzilla vs. Megalon” (1973)
• “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla” (1974)
• “Terror of Mechagodzilla” (1975)
• “The Return of Godzilla” (1984)
• “Godzilla vs. Biollante” (1989)
• “Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah” (1991)
• “Godzilla vs. Mothra” (1992)
• “Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II” (1993)
• “Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla” (1994)
• “Godzilla vs. Destoroyah” (1995)
• “Godzilla 2000: Millennium” (1999)
• “Godzilla vs. Megaguirus” (2000)
• “Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack” (2001)
• “Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla” (2002)
• “Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.” (2003)
• “Godzilla: Final Wars” (2004)
• “Shin Godzilla” (2016)
• “Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters” (2017)
• “Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle” (2018)
• “Godzilla: The Planet Eater” (2018)
• “Godzilla Minus One” (2023)
American Godzilla Films in Release Order
• “Godzilla” (1998)
• “Godzilla” (2014)
• “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” (2019)
• “Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021)
• “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire” (2024)
King Kong Films in Release Order
• “King Kong” (1933)
• “Son of Kong” (1933)
• “King Kong vs. Godzilla” (1962)
• “King Kong Escapes” (1967)
• “King Kong” (1976)
• “King Kong Lives” (1986)
• “King Kong” (2005)
• “Kong: Skull Island” (2017)
• “Godzilla vs. Kong” (2021)
• “Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire”
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