With the absolutely monumental success (both box office and reception-wise) that Marvel Studios had with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, other movie studios began scrambling to create their own shared movie universes in order to get a piece of the success their rival was having. Universal Pictures launched their “Dark Universe” of monster movies (The Mummy, Invisible Man), and Sony Pictures partnered with Valiant Comics to launch their “Valiant Cinematic Universe”, which started withBloodshot. Warner Brothers has not one but three cinematic universes in their pocket: The now-defunct DCEU,The ConjuringUniverse, and the more successfulMonsterVersefilms.
Starting with 2014’sGodzilla(starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Bryan Cranston), Warner Brothers has produced four movies set in its MonsterVerse, and two side projects such as the animated showSkull Islandstreaming on Netflix, andMonarch: Legacy of Monstersset to premiere in November. The IP has proven to be quite successful for the studio, with all four films receiving generally positive reviews while also raking in nearly two billion dollars total among the four films combined. While still early in its franchising,The MonsterVerse still has more to comefor audiences in the near future, with the upcomingGodzilla x Kong: The New Empirecurrently filming and set for release in 2024.
In the meantime, here are the current cinematic offerings ofThe MonsterVerseranked.
Update August 06, 2025: As audiences eagerly awaitMonarch: Legacy of MonstersandGodzilla x Kong: The New Empire, this article has been updated with more information about each MonsterVerse film as well as where you can stream them.
4Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
Godzilla: King of the Monsters
Though it has the lowest ratings of the MonsterVerse movies (42% on Rotten Tomatoes and 6/10 on IMDB), 2019’sGodzilla: King of the Monstersis by no means a bad movie. A sequel to 2014’sGodzilla,King of Monstersfollows the government group known as Monarch as they take on evil scientist Alan Jonah; they free more of Godzilla’s fellow “titans” (as they are referred to in the film) from the Earth, causing even more chaos and mass destruction.
Fan-favorite titans such as King Ghidorah, Mothra, and Rodan all play a significant part in the movie, as Godzilla takes them all down to become “King of the Monsters.” A film with absolutely beautiful visual spectacles and heart-pounding monster fights, the main complaintKing of The Monstersreceived from critics was its lack of narrative; with some calling it “ramshackle” and “cutting edge effects are still no substitute for a good story.”
Stream on Tubi
3Godzilla (2014)
1954 Japanese film Godzilla follows Japan’s panic as ships are mysteriously sunk near Odo Island. An expedition discovers a giant monster, Godzilla, whose rampage threatens global destruction.
The first entry into Warner Brothers MonsterVerse, directed by Gareth Edwards (Rogue One),Godzillais the second Godzilla movie to be entirely made by a Hollywood Studio. Starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, and Bryan Cranston, the story follows an American soldier named Ford Brody as he tries to make it back to his family. The film’s climatic third act has the two parasitic monsters (known as MUTOs), along with the now first-seen Godzilla, converging for a final battle in San Francisco.
The movie garnered positive reviews from across the critical spectrum, with Rotten Tomatoes' critical consensus saying: “With just enough human drama to anchor the sweeping spectacle of giant monsters smashing everything in sight, Gareth Edwards’Godzillasatisfyingly restores the franchise’s fire-breathing glory.” Another critic said the filmmakes up for what was a disaster in 1998’s Godzilla movie. The movie also made roughly three times its budget at the box office and was a smash hit for the studio.
Stream on TNT
Related:Godzilla Vs. Kong: Which Monster Won the Big Fight?
2Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Kong: Skull Island
Another successful entry into their MonsterVerse, hot off the hype of 2014’s Godzilla, Kong: Skull Island was a triumphant return for the big, bold gorilla. Almost a prequel/origin film (set in 1973),Skull Islandfollows a group of soldiers from the Monarch organization as they go to the recently discovered Skull Island in the Pacific in order to discover new creatures.
With a star-studded cast featuring Samuel L. Jackson, Brie Larson, Tom Hiddleston, and more,Skull Islandbecame the most popularof the MonsterVerse movies at the time of its release in 2017. Critics called it a “hoot,” and “Offering exhilarating eye candy, solid acting, and a fast-paced story,Kong: Skull Islandearns its spot in the movie monster’s mythos without ever matching up to the classic original.” (from Rotten Tomatoes). It also became the highest-grossing MonsterVerse film up to that point, gaining $567 million dollars worldwide at the box office.
For Purchase on PVOD
Godzilla vs. Kong 2 to Begin Filming This Year in Australia
The sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong will start production later this year.
1Godzilla Vs. Kong (2021)
Godzilla Vs King Kong
The epic next chapter in the cinematic Monsterverse pits two of the greatest icons in motion picture history against one another - the fearsome Godzilla and the mighty Kong - with humanity caught in the balance.
With a well-executed, proper build-up, Warner Brothers brought the fight of the ages between its two titular monsters to the big screen in 2021. With yet another cast of brilliant actors such as Millie Bobby Brown, Alexander Skarsgård, and Rebecca Hall;Godzilla VS Kongfollows the Monarch organization as they try to figure out what’s going on with Godzilla’s erratic behavior. Simultaneously, a company known as Apex Cybernetics is trying to hunt down the “Hollow Earth” home of the Titans. The CEO of Apex, Walter Simmons, is able to convince Monarch to let them use Kong to explore the Hollow Earth. At the same time, Apex is working on a Mecha Godzilla, and when it is activated, it attracts Godzilla to Hong Kong, headquarters of Apex. This, of course, alerts Kong as well, and he goes up to meet Godzilla, and the most epic of fights ensues. In a stunning turn of events,the two team up to take down Mecha Godzilla in the end.
Mixing a heartfelt narrative with absolutely bombastic battles,Godzilla vs. Kongwas generally well met by critics, with Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times saying: “It’s the kind of movie that makes you forget about everything else in your life while you’re watching it.”, and Jamie Graham of Total Film saying: “Watching these famous monsters share the screen for the first time since 1963’sKing Kong vs. Godzilla, in a series of expertly choreographed battles, packs real wallop, even if you can’t help wishing that screen was 30ft high at your local cinema.”.
Due to being released on HBO Max and cinemas at the same time due to the COVID-19 pandemic having many theaters still shut down, those theaters that were open managed to make Godzilla vs. Kong one of only two WB movies in 2021 to gross $100 million domestic (the other being Dune). That makes it a hit by any metric, and is even more impressive that it grossed more thanGodzilla: King of the Monsters, which did not have a pandemic hurting its box office. Now, audiences are eagerly awaiting the sequel.
Stream on Prime Video and MAX
