Warner Bros. and Legendary’s MonsterVerse is unique in that it’s very much a shared mythology that’s connected, but each of the four installments to date function perfectly well as standalone blockbusters. You don’t need to have seen a single frame from Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island or Godzilla: King of the Monsters to get a kick out of Godzilla vs. Kong, and the same applies to the crossover’s predecessors as well.
Adam Wingard’s monster mash features hardly any connective tissue to the MonsterVerse, and most of it comes via Millie Bobby Brown’s returning Madison Russell. Admittedly, her storyline is hardly integral to the narrative, and many fans have already called out how pointless and unnecessary it is in the grand scheme of things, but she’s a recognizable star and so the studio was always going to give her a prominent role.
In fact, insider Daniel Richtman is now reporting that the Stranger Things actress will be returning for the next Godzilla movie, but that’s the beginning and end of the tipster’s say on the matter. Wingard admitted that the franchise faces a crossroads in the aftermath of his versus pic, while writer Max Borenstein told us directly that there’s nothing concrete in the works, but given that Godzilla vs. Kong is set to do big business at the box office, it’s not as though WB are going to let any earning potential go to waste.
After all, the aforementioned monster mashup leaves the door wide open for further installments in the MonsterVerse, and regardless of which title hero ends up taking center stage, it stands to reason that Brown would be at the top of the list when it comes to returning characters, with her star only set to continue rising over the coming years.
