Viewers looking to jump into Warner Bros.' MonsterVerse before Godzilla vs. Kong don't have as much homework to do as someone catching up on the Marvel Cinematic Universe. There are only three films that precede the upcoming main event of the giant monster cinematic universe.

That said, fans impressed by the latest trailer could probably use a refresher on what led up to Godzilla vs. Kong as it's been seven years since 2014's Godzilla kicked off the universe. Here's when all the movies take place and how they paved the way for the great Godzilla vs. Kong showdown of 2021.

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Godzilla (2014)

The MonsterVerse launched by introducing a new, American-sized Godzilla to the world. His origin tied into the nuclear tests of the 1950s, including the Bikini Atoll test in 1954, which was held in an attempt to kill Godzilla. In spite of this and some scenes set in 1999, most of the movie takes place in 2014.

The rebooted Godzilla introduced a new threat to the franchise: the Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms (aka MUTOs). The gigantic, insect-like creatures fed off man-made radiation. They're fairly sympathetic for Godzilla villains, portrayed as animals trying to survive (and mate) in a hostile world instead of a purely destructive force.

The film also introduced Monarch, the MonsterVerse's answer to S.H.I.E.L.D. The secretive government group tracked and monitored giant monsters like Godzilla and, as we'd later learn, Kong. Their plan to lure Godzilla and the MUTOs doesn't work out, as their climactic battle instead takes place in San Francisco. Godzilla defeats the MUTOs and survives Monarch's plans, leading some to think of him as a savior.

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Kong: Skull Island

Kong-Skull-Island-Poster

2017's Kong: Skull Island was the second film release for the MonsterVerse, but it takes place before most of the events in Godzilla. Set in 1973 as the Vietnam War is winding down, Kong reintroduced cinema's original giant monster and his island home. Kong battled the monstrous Skullcrawlers and Samuel L. Jackson's vengeful Army Colonel Preston Packard. Beyond reiterating his thing for blondes, Kong's connection with Brie Larson's Mason Weaver and Tom Hiddleston's James Conrad, showed Kong to be a noble soul at heart.

Skull Island also introduced the Hollow Earth theory, which will be expanded upon in Godzilla vs. Kong. It explains how the creatures of the MonsterVerse can travel unseen through the Earth via a series of tunnels and emerge in specific locations. The film also featured a post-credits sequence that connected Kong with the Godzilla films beyond the presence of Monarch. Weaver and Conrad were shown archival footage of cave paintings featuring Godzilla and some of his most powerful enemies, foreshadowing a battle between Godzilla and King Ghidorah.

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

Godzilla: King of the Monsters

King of the Monsters begins in 2014 before skipping ahead to 2019, five years after the events of Godzilla revealed the existence of "Titans" to the world. The teased battle between Godzilla and Ghidorah happens after the three-headed dragon was awakened by Monarch scientist Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga), who was working with a group of eco-terrorists.

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Ghidorah wasn't the only monster teased in Skull Island that appeared, though -- Russell awakened Mothra and Rodan as well. Mothra becomes an ally to Godzilla, defeating Rodan and sacrificing herself to give Godzilla the power he needed to defeat Ghidorah. After Godzilla's victory, Rodan, among other Titans, bowed to him, recognizing him as king. The film's credit scenes also included more cave paintings, teasing the coming battle between Godzilla and Kong.

Charles Dance's Alan Jonah, a former British Army Colonel turned eco-terrorist, was the true villain of King of the Monsters. He won't be back in Godzilla vs. Kong but his purchase of a severed Ghidorah head in the post-credit scene could lead to the creation of what's expected to be GvK's real villain, Mechagodzilla.

The MonsterVerse films have leaned heavily on prophecy to set up its feud between cinema's greatest giants. Luckily, it shouldn't take much to get people interested in seeing their clash (and inevitable team-up). There's good news for fans who want to further whet their appetites and catch up on all of the films in the MonsterVerse, too -- they aren't hard to find. Skull Island and King of the Monsters are streaming on HBO Max. Godzilla (2014) isn't yet, but it can be rented via services like Vudu and Prime Video. If nothing else, a catch-up session would make a good triple feature, if not a multi-day marathon.

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