Multiple kaiju never got to fight Godzilla in Toho’s movies, but could get that chance in the MonsterVerse. Thanks to the MonsterVerse, Godzilla has had rematches with three of his prior opponents: Mechagodzilla, King Ghidorah, and Kong. But rather than continue fighting old foes from his Toho movies, Godzilla could wind up facing off against a giant monster icon he’s never actually fought before.
Through over 60 years of cinematic history, Godzilla has had more than his fair share of monster fights. Godzilla has battled most of the major kaiju from Toho’s library, including both villains and heroic monsters like Rodan and Mothra. But for one reason or another, there are some noteworthy kaiju in the genre Godzilla has never encountered on the big screen. By acquiring the licensing rights to these monsters, Legendary Pictures possesses the means to change that. Here’s seven kaiju who never fought Godzilla, but have the potential to face him in the MonsterVerse.
7 Manda
Toho’s Atragon featured the debut of Manda, a powerful dragon who acts as the guardian of Mu, an underwater kingdom. In the film, he was destroyed by a warship called Gotengo. After the movie, he was incorporated into the Godzilla franchise via Destroy All Monsters. Decades later, he made a comeback in Godzilla: Final Wars, only to die in a rematch with the Gotengo. Due to his backstory, a monster like Manda would fit neatly into the MonsterVerse, a world that has its own hidden worlds and forgotten civilizations. It’s easy to imagine Manda living in the Hollow Earth somewhere as an ancient sea serpent Titan.
6 Gorosaurus
Despite being a lesser-known monster, both of Gorosaurus’ onscreen battles have been against high-profile opponents. Upon his introduction in 1967, he battled King Kong in Toho’s King Kong Escapes. A year later, he ed forces with Godzilla (and several other kaiju) to take down King Ghidorah in Destroy All Monsters. Armed with his signature kangaroo kick move, the giant allosaurus has proven himself to be formidable in combat but has never tested his mettle against Godzilla. Gorosaurus never returned after the Showa era, and remains one of the only kaiju in the franchise not to get at least one fight with the King of the Monsters.
5 Mechani-Kong
In addition to fighting Gorosaurus in King Kong Escapes, the giant ape also had to contend with Mechani-Kong, a massive robot built in his image. ed as Kong’s very own Mechagodzilla, the character actually preceded Godzilla’s mechanical counterpart by a few years. In the early 1990s, Toho had a plan to bring Mechani-Kong back for a fight with Godzilla, but rights issues got in the way. Toho couldn’t make it happen, but that doesn’t mean Legendary can’t either.
Due to the campy nature of the character, Mechani-Kong would be an unlikely addition to the MonsterVerse. But, it’s important to note that Mechagodzilla’s debut in Godzilla vs. Kong came with the same concerns. Plus, it’s possible that Mechani-Kong already has a presence in the MonsterVerse. The Godzilla: King of the Monsters confirmed that a mecha-Titan was being built on Skull Island. Since Mechagodzilla was constructed elsewhere by APEX, Skull Island’s mecha-Titan must be a different kaiju entirely. And with its construction being on Kong’s island, it would be altogether fitting for the character to be none other than Mechani-Kong.
4 Sanda
Sanda made his first and only movie appearance in 1966’s War of the Gargantuas. As a follow-up to Frankenstein vs. Baragon, War of the Gargantuas saw the creation of two more kaiju-sized versions of Frankenstein’s Monster. One – Sanda - was the hero of the movie, with the other – Gaira – filling the role of the villain. The two didn’t appear in another film after their epic showdown in War of the Gargantuas, but due in large part to the legacy maintained by the film, Sanda and Gaira have remained popular figures in the giant monster movie genre.
In fact, King of the Monsters director Michael Dougherty named the Gargantuas as kaiju he’d like to bring to the MonsterVerse [via ComicBook.com]. Legendary has already used a handful of Toho’s properties, so it eventually finding a place for War of the Gargantuas' hero, perhaps in his own spinoff project, isn’t off the table. If that were to happen, he engage in a brawl with Godzilla himself in a MonsterVerse crossover.
3 Jet Jaguar
Largely inspired by Japanese pop culture icon Ultraman, Jet Jaguar is a robot that mysteriously grew to Godzilla’s size to defend Japan from Megalon and Gigan in Godzilla vs. Megalon. At the end of the movie, Godzilla and Jet Jaguar had a memorable team-up in which the two engaged the villains in an exciting two-on-two showdown. Since Toho was pushing Godzilla as a hero at the time of the film’s release, a fight between them wouldn’t have made sense, but certainly could have happened later if Jet Jaguar wasn’t a one-and-done kaiju. After all, Godzilla has fought the majority of Toho’s monsters, even those counted as his allies.
Similar to Mechani-Kong, Jet Jaguar isn’t a seamless fit for the MonsterVerse and would be a risky addition to its lineup of Toho kaiju. That said, there is a chance he could be properly reworked for a more serious universe. As for what his story could be, he could be deployed by the humans if they ever decide to turn on Godzilla. That would enable the MonsterVerse to remain true to Jet Jaguar’s image as a defender of humanity.
2 Varan
Varan, the titular villain of Toho’s Varan the Unbelievable, was given a place in the Godzilla franchise when he made a cameo in Destroy All Monsters. Like Gorosaurus and Manda, Varan was utilized as a Monster Island resident and Godzilla ally, eliminating any need for them to fight in a future Showa era film. In the 1990s, there was a screenplay that would have pitted the two against each other in a movie titled Godzilla vs. Giant Monster Varan, but it never saw the light of day.
Due to the creature’s versatility as a monster that can fight in the air, the water, or on land, he’d have been a forced to be reckoned with. Were he to the MonsterVerse as a terrifying new Titan, Legendary could finally fulfill old hopes for a Godzilla vs. Varan battle. He’s a monster who could pose a challenge to Godzilla whether the fight happens in a city or in the ocean.
1 Gamera
Although not a Toho kaiju, Gamera is undoubtedly the biggest kaiju never to fight Godzilla. A pop culture icon in his own right, the heroic, turtle kaiju was Godzilla's chief competition at the box office when it came to kaiju movies. However, box office battles were the closest they ever came to a showdown. As for who would win in a real fight, that question has never been answered. Being owned by competing studios has kept them apart for decades, which is why it may be up to the MonsterVerse to put a battle in motion.
Such a fight occurring in the MonsterVerse is a scenario that at least one of its filmmakers has already entertained. When talking about a potential Godzilla vs. Gamera fight, Dougherty pointed out that “franchise characters are getting thrown together and bought up by parent companies left and right,” [via BloodyDisgusting.] Not unlike how Godzilla and Kong were put in the same movie in 2021, it doesn’t matter if Godzilla and Gamera don’t belong to the same studio; if Legendary has the inclination, it can take measures to gain the rights to the monster and introduce Gamera as a new Titan challenger to Godzilla.
Sources: ComicBook.com, BloodyDisgusting
