Godzilla (MonsterVerse)

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For other uses, see Godzilla (disambiguation).
Godzilla
MonsterVerse character
Godzilla Empire Reveal.jpg
Godzilla's 2014 design revealed via Empire
First appearanceGodzilla (2014)
Last appearanceGodzilla vs. Kong (2021)
Based onGodzilla
by Toho
Adapted byGareth Edwards[1]
David Callaham[2]
Max Borenstein[3]
Designed byMatt Allsopp[4][5]
Portrayed byT.J. Storm[6][7]
In-universe information
AliasGojira[8]
Hollywood Godzilla[9]
SpeciesTitanus Gojira[10]
GenderMale
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Godzilla (ゴジラ, Gojira) is a fictional kaiju appearing in Legendary's MonsterVerse, based on Toho's character of the same name. This incarnation of Godzilla is depicted as the sole survivor of a prehistoric superspecies, theorized by Ishirō Serizawa, acting as a force of nature that maintains balance. The character was initially designed by Matt Allsopp, modeled after the Toho version.[11] It is the second incarnation of Godzilla to be created by an American studio, after TriStar's 1998 film Godzilla, and overall the tenth onscreen incarnation of the iconic character.[12]

Overview[]

Name[]

Godzilla is referred to by Ishirō Serizawa, played by Ken Watanabe, as "Gojira" (ゴジラ) though later on he would be referred to by other characters as "Godzilla". Watanabe fought with the producer to have his character refer to Godzilla by his Japanese name, stating, "the important thing is where the icon comes from. The first [movie] it was very important for me to call him Gojira, and I explained that his name was the really correct version I needed to say."[8] In the 2014 video game Godzilla, he is labeled as "Hollywood Godzilla."[9]

In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Godzilla is given the scientific name "Titanus Gojira",[10] after the designation for the monsters was changed from "MUTOs" (Massive Unidentified Terrestrial Organisms) to "Titans."[13]

Design[]

Producer Thomas Tull was adamant about keeping Godzilla's design consistent with the Toho version, stating, "We had to make triply sure we got it right. Godzilla had to look like Godzilla. Period."[11] In February 2014, Legendary debuted the final design of their Godzilla on the cover of Empire.[14] Gareth Edwards and the design group reviewed all previous incarnations of Godzilla's design for inspiration. Edwards stated, "The way I tried to view it was to imagine Godzilla was a real creature and someone from Toho saw him in the 1950s and ran back to the studio to make a movie about the creature and was trying their best to remember it and draw it. And in our film you get to see him for real." He went on to say that his Godzilla remains true to the original in all aspects.[1] Edwards also stressed that, "It was important to me that this felt like a Toho Godzilla" and concluded by wishing, "I'd love ours (Godzilla) to be considered as part of the Toho group."[15]

Much like the previous American incarnation of the character, the MonsterVerse Godzilla has a square shaped face on a broad neck. He also possesses gills despite being an amphibian. According to Andrew Baker, the filmmakers studied the faces of dogs, bears, and eagles to make Godzilla's face look noble and majestic, yet not too cute or threatening. Director Gareth Edwards also stated that they tried to sharpen and straighten his face and his body so it's less rounded.[16] Godzilla's dorsal plates are also smaller and straighter than the previous designs, but still retaining the core maple-leaf shape. His legs are very wide and resembles that of an elephant's.

In King of the Monsters, Godzilla was given a slight revamp in his design, notably his dorsal plates changing in size and shape, more jagged and reminiscent of his 1954 design. He has also grown larger in size due to him being more active following the battle of San Francisco. As well as the claws on his feet being longer and pointier, his eyes glow when charging up his atomic breath. His atomic breath in 2014 was weakened due to the MUTOs' electromagnetic pulses and has since increased in mass and power.[17]

In his Thermonuclear state, orange and yellow cracks appear throughout his body and his eyes glow orange when charging up a nuclear pulse. He largely retains his appearance from Godzilla: King of the Monsters in the 2021 film Godzilla vs. Kong.

Personality[]

Godzilla was designed to have a personality that would evoke the "last samurai" archetype, a lone, ancient warrior who prefers to be left alone until world events force him to resurface.[18]

Size[]

In Godzilla (2014), Godzilla is 355 feet (108 meters) tall. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and Godzilla vs. Kong (2021), his height is increased to 394 feet (120 meters) tall.[19]

Reception[]

IndieWire called Godzilla's design "more classic than groundbreaking", with praise for the size, scale, fins, sound design, and visual effects, stating, "The visuals are really impressive and perhaps more importantly, feel realistic to the world of the movie around it."[20] Screenwriter Kazuki Nakajima criticized the 2014 film for turning Godzilla into a "good guy", stating it is "the sort of Godzilla aimed at kids in the late Showa Era."[21] Illustrator Yuji Kaida praised the 2014 film for treating Godzilla like "a force beyond human understanding that maintained the Earth’s natural balance," as well as praising the physique of the design and how Edwards conveyed the mass.[21]

Appearances[]

A post-credits scene in Kong: Skull Island featured cave paintings of Godzilla, Rodan, Mothra and King Ghidorah.[22]

Films[]

Comics[]

  • Godzilla: Awakening (2014)
  • Godzilla: Aftershock (2019)
  • Godzilla Dominion (2021)

Novels[]

  • Godzilla: The Official Movie Novelization (2014)
  • Godzilla: King of the Monsters – The Official Movie Novelization (2019)
  • Godzilla vs. Kong – The Official Movie Novelization (2021)

Games[]

  • Godzilla: Strike Zone (Android, iOS – 2014)
  • Godzilla: Crisis Defense (Browser – 2014)
  • Godzilla: Smash3 (Android and iOS – 2014)
  • Godzilla (PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 – 2014) – as Hollywood Godzilla
  • Godzilla: Kaiju Collection (Android and iOS – 2015)
  • PUBG Mobile (Android and iOS – 2021)[23]
  • World of Warships (PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One – 2021)[24]
  • Godzilla Battle Line (Android and iOS – 2021)

See also[]

References[]

Citations[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b Newitz, Annalee (July 25, 2013). "Godzilla director Gareth Edwards explains the symbolism of kaiju". i09. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  2. ^ "Screenwriter Profile: Dave Callaham". Fresh Voices. Archived from the original on November 15, 2020. Retrieved August 14, 2015.
  3. ^ Sharareh Drury (April 2, 2021). "'Godzilla vs. Kong' Writer Max Borenstein on Crafting Modern Stories for the MonsterVerse". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  4. ^ Cotta Vaz 2014, p. 81.
  5. ^ Cotta Vaz 2014, p. 102–103.
  6. ^ Pockross, Adam (February 28, 2019). "Genre MVP: The Motion Capture Actor Who's Played Groot, Godzilla, and Iron Man". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
  7. ^ "Godzilla: King of the Monsters Final Credits". SciFi Japan. May 23, 2019. Archived from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Manalo, Mike (May 29, 2019). "Preserving Culture with 'Godzilla' Star Ken Watanabe". The Nerds of Color. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b Steve Barton (July 14, 2015). "Godzilla Launches and Lunches on PS3 and PS4". Dread Central. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved April 13, 2021.
  10. ^ Jump up to: a b Sarah Moran (May 31, 2019). "Every Titan In Godzilla: King Of The Monsters". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 25, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Graser, Marc (May 6, 2014). "How 'Godzilla' Roared Again with Director Gareth Edwards, Legendary's Thomas Tull". Variety. Archived from the original on August 20, 2021. Retrieved May 11, 2018.
  12. ^ Raymond, Nicholas (June 22, 2020). "All 11 Versions Of Godzilla (& How They're All Different)". Screenrant. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  13. ^ Orquiola, John (July 21, 2018). "Godzilla 2 Has Renamed The MonsterVerse Creatures". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved October 17, 2018.
  14. ^ Matt Goldberg (February 26, 2021). "Empire Unleashes the Beast on New Magazine Cover Featuring Godzilla". Collider. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  15. ^ Turek, Ryan (July 19, 2013). "Comic-Con 2013 Interview: Gareth Edwards On Godzilla, Atomic Breath, the Design, Darabont & More!". Comingsoon.net. Archived from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  16. ^ Sacks, Ethan (May 11, 2014). "'Godzilla' director Gareth Edwards and the design team reached back in time to create the new monster". New York Daily News. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  17. ^ Libbey, Dirk (May 8, 2018). "Godzilla unleashes 'atomic breath' in Godzilla: King of the Monsters first look". Yahoo! News. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  18. ^ "'Godzilla is like the last samurai'". Daily Pioneer. May 4, 2014. Retrieved March 29, 2021.
  19. ^ Nicholas Raymond (March 30, 2021). "How Tall Godzilla Is In Each Movie (Including MonsterVerse)". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on April 11, 2021. Retrieved April 11, 2021.
  20. ^ "Breaking Down The Monster: The Best & Worst of Godzilla". IndieWire. May 19, 2014. Retrieved March 12, 2017.
  21. ^ Jump up to: a b Brasor, Philip (August 9, 2014). "Critics get frank when it comes to Godzilla". Japan Times. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
  22. ^ Goldberg, Matt (March 11, 2017). "'Kong: Skull Island' Post-Credits Scene Explained". Collider. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
  23. ^ Tuting, Kristine (March 26, 2021). "Godzilla and King Kong are coming to PUBG Mobile". One Esports. Retrieved March 30, 2021.
  24. ^ Austin Slenk (April 2, 2021). "'Godzilla vs. Kong' Is Coming to Online Game 'World of Warships' Next Month". Collider. Archived from the original on April 25, 2021. Retrieved April 25, 2021.

Sources[]

  • Cotta Vaz, Mark (2014). Godzilla: The Art of Destruction. Insight Editions. ISBN 978-1-60887-344-9.
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