Will the Heisei kaiju make a comeback in film?

[DannyBeane]

I think if Toho were to decide to start up an actual series again with actual continuity, I think there is a good chance of us seeing the return of SpaceG, Destroyah and possibly Biollante. Merchandise-wise they've really been pushing the Heisei kaiju. Look at the IDW comics, SHMA figures, video games etc. This makes sense because the people that were children in the 90s/early 2000s are adults with disposable income now and we know the importance of nostalgia in marketing. Me personally, while I prefer the showa kaiju, I wouldn't mind seeing some of the Heisei kaiju make a comeback with updated origins.
So what I am asking is do you think the odds of Heisei kaiju coming back are increasing over the coming years if Toho were to start making a connected continuity series again?

[Benjamin Haines]

It would be cool. I think if we ever see Biollante, Battra, Spacegodzilla, or Destroyer in a new movie again, their origins would probably be radically altered, changing aspects of the monsters' backgrounds that most fans probably take for granted. If we do see Biollante again, it probably wouldn't be the result of a scientist splicing Godzilla cells with those of a rose. It might not even be depicted as "part Godzilla" at all but just a reptilian plant monster.

I can see Destroyer being presented as a crustacean-like behemoth with no mention of micro-oxygen or any connection to the Oxygen Destroyer. It could even be a singular giant organism that doesn't metamorphose into different forms at all, not an inexplicable combination of a bunch of microscopic creatures.

I don't think we'll ever see Spacegodzilla again. What is Spacegodzilla, anyway? It's a Godzilla clone with big-ass crystals on its shoulders. It barely even qualifies as its own character. I think if there's ever another movie where Godzilla fights a clone of himself, the clone wouldn't be like Spacegodzilla at all.

Battra would probably be the easiest to adapt to a new film series. It's a scary-looking mothlike monster with a destructive streak. A kaiju like that doesn't even require a connection to Mothra, Infant Island, or "the spirit of the Earth" to be done effectively.

[DannyBeane]

[lhb412]

I understand that a lot of people especially dig the Heisei series because it has a consistent universe and continuity, but aside from a couple of things I don't think they did much that was interesting with that continuity. If Toho wanted to create another consistant Godzilla film universe I think they'd be better off starting from scratch.

[jellydonut25]

In terms of likelihood (for the original kaiju, not those recycled) to me it goes:

Battra - We know Mothra will return, so why not her evil twin? We've recently seen at least an interesting concept of there being a pair of evil Shobijin to counterbalance the good ones we've always known.
Biollante - I don't think there's anything about Biollante that NEEDS to be present aside from "Godzilla mixed with a plant." I understand there's more to her due to there also being human DNA from Erica in her, but Godzilla mixed with a plant made by a mad scientist is definitely a concept that could be revisited.
MechaKing Ghidorah - A cybernetic kaiju, perhaps controlled by an evil force this time rather than a good guy/girl. It could be an interesting take, it's been done in other media, and we know there's a high probability of seeing Ghidorah again so, why not the mechanized version?
SpaceGodzilla - In addition to his popularity (which I'll honestly never really understand. As has been said, he's basically just Godzilla with crystal shoulders), I think if we're bringing in outer space kaiju, we could bring in something that would slightly change his background. Rather than actively coming from space, perhaps a space organism comes to Earth and melds with some of Godzilla's DNA or something.
Destoroyah - If you're just creating a giant crustacean and not mentioning the Oxygen Destroyer at all, then to me, it's not really Destoroyah. I don't have any great LOVE or fondness of the character to be super beholden to that idea, but it feels so intrinsically tied to the OD that just a giant crustacean creature with a beam of some kind would feel like a different kaiju to me. And then what possible reason would you have for naming it Destoroyah? It'd be a DINO, honestly.


As for where I'd rate the realistic chances of seeing any of them, pretty low in the immediate future. The American series doesn't seem to want to delve into characters that are as bright and colorful as these (though Biollante could fit into that mold) and the Japanese series we're told at the moment is going to be pretty ominous, and maybe they're not interested in getting quite that silly yet.
I wouldn't hold my breath to see it any time soon, though I think those top 3 could re-appear in a G flick before TOO long.

[DannyBeane]

[Benjamin Haines]

I think it would be cool to see Mecha King Ghidorah with an organic center head and two robotic heads on the left and right.

[The Shadow]

[mbozzo]

While I like the idea of them coming back in a future monster movie, I'm not sure that it's going to happen. Maybe some of them might appear in a solo American made movie, first.

[gojiedge]

[Benjamin Haines]

That would be the basic premise of the original Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla with Spacegodzilla instead.

[gojiedge]

But it would be cool.

And yes, thats what happened in the 70s films.

[klen7]

i think SG could be cool if you played up the crystal powers a lot more - basically having him terraforming the earth but also using them to build defenses and attacks. Actually make him a crystalline entity altogether that mimics Godzillas shape (as it sees G as the alpha predator on the planet it is currently conquering) rather than an organic creature with extra spikes

[gojiedge]

[lhb412]

With the security of the Godzilla franchise looking pretty positive nowadays I can see pretty much any kaiju or plot element revived, even if it's just to be canon fodder like the beginning of Kingdom of the Monsters.

[tbeasley]

Yeah after random names like Kamacuras, Dogora, Dagahra and Orga popping up again I don't think anything's off the table.

[jellydonut25]