5 Monsters We Want To See In The GODZILLA MINUS ONE Sequel

In the realm of underused monsters from the history of the Godzilla franchise, Titanosaurus has to be right near the top. The monster appeared just once in 1975’s Terror of Mechagodzilla, which was Ishirō Honda’s final directorial effort before his passing. It was also the final film in what we now know as the Showa Era of Godzilla. The movie itself is a lot of fun but, more importantly, Titanosaurus is kind of a perfect foil for Godzilla, as he is an aquatic dinosaur that is unwittingly awakened by humanity, with devastating results. 

In the world established by Minus One, a monster like this would fit in perfectly. Titanosaurus could merely be another threat looming in the oceans that humans were ill-prepared to deal with. What happens when two monsters emerge from the depths to threaten our cities? What comes from the inevitable clash between a nuclear kaiju and a deadly, sea-dwelling dinosaur? In the next installment takes the traditional sequel mantra of “more is more,” this feels like the perfect way to go. 

The Heisei era of Godzilla kicked off in 1984 with The Return of Godzilla, a damn fine movie for what it is. But director Kazuki Omori took things up several notches in 1989 with Godzilla vs. Biollante, which still ranks as arguably one of the best pound-for-pound movies in the history of the franchise. Not surprisingly, a great deal of that movie’s excellence can be attributed to Biollante, who is one of the most visually impressive monsters Toho has brought to life outside of the King of the Monsters himself. 

Biollante is a plant/monster hybrid created through scientific experimentation. Again, it’s relatively grounded and there’s a way to envision mankind experimenting more with dangerous weapons in the aftermath of the events of Minus One. Biollante, therefore, fits the mold pretty well.

Beyond that, the visual possibilities from a pure spectacle standpoint are truly tantalizing in this case. It’s dizzying to imagine a modern version of this hulking plant beast duking it out with Yamazaki’s terrifying version of Godzilla. The “shut up and take my money” option for sure. Biollante has only been in one movie. It’s past time to change that.

If the idea is to go bigger equals better with the Minus One sequel, then Destroyah feels like a slam dunk option for a new monster to go toe-to-toe with this latest version of Godzilla. The monster in question made his one and only appearance in 1995’s Godzilla vs. Destroyah, which was the final film of the Heisei era.

Director Takao Okawara sent this era off with a bang, delivering one of the most visually impressive, hulking kaiju to ever grace the silver screen. Destroyah straight-up looks mean, with those giant wings, that horn and that distinctive chest. 

More than that, Destroyah traces his roots to the original 1954 Godzilla, as he was created in Tokyo Bay, resulting from prehistoric microscopic marine creatures mutating after the Oxygen Destroyer went off. Again, this is a monster that could exist in some form based on what has already happened in this universe.

It would double down on the idea that mankind’s own horrors have created something more terrifying than anyone could have imagined, with the people of Earth having to reckon with the consequences of destructive action. Plus, Destroyah just looks cool as hell. Nearly 30 years after he first appeared on screen, it’s high time he made a comeback. 

1971’s Godzilla vs. Hedorah is perhaps the prime example of a movie being ahead of its time. Aside from the all-over-the-place tone and experiment sequences, the message of a monster created by industrial waste is particularly resonant in the age of global warming. It’s also, relatively speaking, a grounded concept that could fit right inside the world created in Godzilla Minus One. If Godzilla could be brought to life by nuclear weapons, why not another monster birthed by pollution? More importantly, what happens if those two forces cross paths? 

More than any other monster on this list, Hedorah feels like the perfect fit for Yamazaki’s next film. For one, Hedorah has truly become a fan-favorite monster over the years and is due for a comeback. Not only that, but Yamazaki already name-checked Godzilla vs. Hedorah as the movie in the franchise that he would like to remake.

In his hands, a modern take on Hedorah could be truly terrifying. Visually, there is so much to work with as the so-called Smog Monster could, in theory, take on many forms over its life cycle. The possibilities feel limitless. 

Perhaps the best avenue for Yamazaki and Toho to explore would be to create something entirely new, rather than revisiting the past. Legendary and Warner Bros. have demonstrated a willingness to create new monsters in the MonsterVerse beginning in 2014’s Godzilla, with director Gareth Edwards introducing us to the Muto.

Why not see what this brilliant filmmaker has up his sleeve so far as original ideas go? After all, Minus One was one of the most refreshing takes on this franchise to come around in decades, if not ever. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see what the man behind that movie can come up with without having to fit into a pre-existing sandbox? 

In an era when franchise exploitation feels more prominent than ever, Minus One felt special. It felt like it was coming from a place of creative need, rather than something dictated by a corporation. Creating something original, in terms of another monster in this franchise’s rich history, would feel like a good way to honor that spirit moving forward. Not that seeing a familiar monster given new life would be a bad thing by any stretch, but something new, particularly in the hands of a filmmaker as talented as this, is thrilling. 

The Godzilla Minus One sequel does not currently have a release date, but stay tuned. For more, get the lowdown on the film’s 4K, Blu-ray and DVD release. 

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