Unlike, say, the “John Wick” franchise, which has titles that make it very clear which order to watch things, the MonsterVerse movies don’t exactly have the easiest titles to figure out. Still, the correct way to watch the MonsterVerse titles is to go by release date — with one key exception.
- Godzilla (2014)
- Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (2023)
- Kong: Skull Island (2017)
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
- Godzilla vs Kong (2021)
- Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
The first “Godzilla” introduces us to a world very much like ours, with nothing seeming out of the ordinary — but then everything changes when Godzilla attacks. We meet the titular monster, but are also swept up in the idea of Titans (other giant creatures), and of a secret organization named Monarch that has been monitoring these monsters for decades.
The Apple TV+ series “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” is partially set in the aftermath of Godzilla’s 2014 destruction, and partially set in the past as it explains the origins of Monarch and shows how the group attempts to prevent another kaiju attack.
Even though “Kong: Skull Island” technically takes place in the 1970s, decades before Godzilla’s big attack, we still think it makes sense to watch it third; the film features an excursion to the mysterious Skull Island and a clash with its protector, King Kong.
Set a few years after “Godzilla,” “King of the Monsters” is essentially an all-out brawl between a dozen titans. The movie finally brings some of Toho’s biggest icons to the screen, including Mothra.
Then, humanity tries to fight back but ends up creating an even bigger threat with Mechagodzilla in “Godzilla vs Kong,” which pits the two main monsters against each other.
Now, this year, we’re getting “Godzilla x Kong,” the buddy-cop kaiju movie we’ve always needed.