Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Legendary's MonsterVerse raked in impressive numbers and viewership in cinemas and on HBO Max for Godzilla vs. Kong, proving fans were still keen on seeing Titans collide. A lot of potential for a sequel was left in the wake of the film, but the foundation for a perfect spin-off is already there with the Godzilla: Dominion prequel comic.
Godzilla: Dominion preceded the lizard clashing with Kong, focusing on Godzilla traversing the world to see what other Titans are up to after he took the throne back from King Ghidorah. It has him in the deep seas fighting the dragon-like Tiamat, exploring his old base and meeting more enemies to tame while also helping other beasts when Monarch attacks.
An HBO animated series would actually work really well for these shorts. Not to mention they are cost-effective and easier to produce than a live-action show. Given that cartoons are quite popular right now, it's a great fit as exemplified by DC Universe fans flocking to Young Justice. Netflix has also hit it off with Voltron: Legendary Defender, Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, Castlevania and Yasuke, so there's even the possibility of doing an anime-fusion.
A spin-off series gives HBO Max a fair chance to detail why Godzilla is now trying to strike a balance with Earth's ecosystem and deal with rebels who don't answer his call. It could also fill in some blanks by providing flashbacks to battles with Kong's ancestors, what his species did in Hollow Earth and how the lizard came out from this unique part of the planet. Again, this allows the MonsterVerse to move forward while padding backstory akin to what Star Wars Rebels and The Bad Batch has done for George Lucas' galaxy.
The animated series could last a couple of seasons until the next MonsterVerse film emerges. The prequel also provides a shot at justice for the humans who were shortchanged in GvK, with Madison and her dad getting more time on their Monarch journey and investigations after Emma died working for Jonah's team. Audiences could also learn what happened to Bernie's wife, why Ren Serizawa turned away from his dad's work, how Mechagodzilla came about and what happened to Houston Brooks and Jessica Henwick's mysterious character.
Seeing all these stories intersect with a variety of kaiju would be quite a spectacle. In the animated sphere, Godzilla's fight dynamics have extra dimension as well, truly making this a much-needed chapter in the King of Monsters' lore.
Directed by Adam Wingard and written by Eric Pearson and Max Borenstein, Godzilla vs. Kong stars Alexander Skarsgard, Millie Bobby Brown, Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry. The film is now playing in theaters. In addition to the 4K, Blu-ray and DVD editions dropping on June 15, the film will be available to purchase digitally on May 21.