Godzilla and King Kong ruled their own movie worlds for decades. Then Legendary Pictures brought them together in the Monsterverse, a shared franchise packed with giant creatures, secret research groups, underground kingdoms, and city-leveling battles.
The basic watch order isn’t hard. Still, the timeline can trip people up.
One movie takes place decades before the rest. Two TV series fill gaps between the films. And newer Toho releases such as Godzilla Minus One look similar on the surface but have nothing to do with Legendary’s universe.
So, what’s the best way to watch the godzilla kong movies in order?
For first-time viewers, release order is the safest choice. It introduces the characters and mythology in the same order audiences originally saw them. The world starts small, then gradually opens up to Monarch, the Titans, Skull Island, and the Hollow Earth.
As of July 2026, five Monsterverse movies have been released. A sixth film, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, is scheduled for March 26, 2027.
Godzilla Kong Movies in Order by Release Date
Release order gives the story room to grow.
The first film presents Godzilla as a mysterious force of nature. The second goes back to the 1970s and introduces Kong. From there, the series builds toward larger battles, stranger creatures, and a much bigger world.
| Order | Movie | U.S. Release Date | Runtime |
| 1 | Godzilla | May 16, 2014 | 123 minutes |
| 2 | Kong: Skull Island | March 10, 2017 | 118 minutes |
| 3 | Godzilla: King of the Monsters | May 31, 2019 | 132 minutes |
| 4 | Godzilla vs. Kong | March 31, 2021 | 113 minutes |
| 5 | Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | March 29, 2024 | 115 minutes |
| 6 | Godzilla x Kong: Supernova | March 26, 2027 | Not announced |
Here’s the order to follow:
- Godzilla
- Kong: Skull Island
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters
- Godzilla vs. Kong
- Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
- Godzilla x Kong: Supernova when it arrives
The five released movies run for 601 minutes in total. That works out to 10 hours and 1 minute without breaks.
Why Release Order Is the Better First Watch
Chronological order starts with Kong: Skull Island, and that may seem more logical. But release order gives you a better first experience.
Godzilla introduces Monarch as a shadowy organization with a long history of studying giant creatures. It doesn’t explain everything right away, which adds to the mystery.
Kong: Skull Island then steps back to 1973 and shows one of Monarch’s early expeditions. That reveal lands better once you already know the group exists.
The later films keep expanding the same ideas. King of the Monsters introduces a global Titan network. Godzilla vs. Kong opens the door to the Hollow Earth. The New Empire goes even further and explores the societies living beneath the surface.
| Viewing Method | What Works | What You Lose | Best For |
| Release order | Preserves reveals and franchise growth | The timeline jumps back in the second film | First-time viewers |
| Chronological order | Follows events by date | Some reveals feel less effective | Returning viewers |
| Movies and TV shows | Adds more Monarch history | Takes much longer | Dedicated fans |
| Condensed order | Covers the main crossover story | Skips useful background | Casual viewers |
Release order also shows how the tone changes.
The 2014 movie feels like a grounded disaster film. Kong: Skull Island plays more like a colorful jungle adventure. By the time you reach The New Empire, the franchise fully embraces wild science fiction.
That shift feels smoother when you watch the films as they were released.
The Complete Monsterverse Movie Guide
Each movie adds a different piece of the puzzle. Some focus on human survival. Others let the Titans take center stage.
| Movie | Director | Main Titans | Worldwide Box Office |
| Godzilla | Gareth Edwards | Godzilla and the MUTOs | About $529.1 million |
| Kong: Skull Island | Jordan Vogt-Roberts | Kong and Skullcrawlers | About $570.9 million |
| Godzilla: King of the Monsters | Michael Dougherty | Godzilla, Ghidorah, Mothra and Rodan | About $387.3 million |
| Godzilla vs. Kong | Adam Wingard | Godzilla, Kong and Mechagodzilla | About $470.1 million |
| Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | Adam Wingard | Godzilla, Kong, Skar King and Shimo | About $572.5 million |
Together, the five released films have earned roughly $2.53 billion worldwide.
1. Godzilla (2014)
Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla launches the Monsterverse with a darker, more restrained tone.
The story follows the Brody family after two ancient creatures called MUTOs awaken. Their arrival pulls Godzilla back into the modern world.
This version of Godzilla isn’t a superhero. He acts more like an ancient predator responding to a threat. Humanity may suffer when he appears, but he isn’t attacking simply for the sake of destruction.
The movie also introduces Monarch, the secret organization that studies giant creatures. Dr. Ishiro Serizawa, played by Ken Watanabe, becomes the film’s clearest voice of caution. He understands that humans can’t control every force they uncover.
The film moves slowly at times, but that patience gives Godzilla’s appearances real weight. When he finally steps into full view, the moment feels earned.
Why it matters: It establishes Godzilla, Monarch, the MUTOs, and the idea that Titans help shape the planet’s natural balance.
Post-credit scene: None.
2. Kong: Skull Island (2017)
Kong: Skull Island takes place mainly in 1973, near the end of the Vietnam War.
A group of soldiers, scientists, and explorers travels to a mysterious island that has remained hidden from the outside world. They soon discover Kong, Skullcrawlers, and an ecosystem filled with creatures that shouldn’t exist.
This movie feels faster and brighter than Godzilla. It leans into adventure, war-movie imagery, and monster action.
Kong also behaves very differently from Godzilla.
Godzilla usually keeps his distance from humans. Kong forms direct bonds with them. He watches, reacts, protects, and sometimes shows clear emotion.
The movie introduces younger versions of Monarch figures Bill Randa and Houston Brooks. It also explains why Kong sees Skull Island as his territory and why he attacks anything that threatens it.
Why it matters: It gives Kong his own history and sets up the emotional side of his later appearances.
Post-credit scene: Yes. It connects Kong’s world to Godzilla, Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah.
3. Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
This is where the Monsterverse becomes much bigger.
Monarch now operates around the world, studying dormant Titans at secret facilities. The Russell family develops technology that can communicate with them, but things go badly when King Ghidorah is released.
Ghidorah isn’t just another giant monster. He challenges Godzilla’s position as the dominant Titan and disrupts the natural order.
Mothra and Rodan also play major roles. Longtime Godzilla fans will recognize several musical, visual, and story references to Toho’s earlier films.
The plot can feel crowded, and the human drama doesn’t always land. Still, the movie does important work for the larger franchise. It explains the Titan hierarchy and shows how one creature’s rise can affect the whole planet.
Why it matters: It introduces Ghidorah, Mothra, Rodan, and the idea of an alpha Titan.
Post-credit scene: Yes. Alan Jonah obtains one of Ghidorah’s severed heads. That detail later connects to Mechagodzilla.
4. Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)
The title makes a clear promise: Godzilla and Kong are going to fight.
The movie wastes little time getting there.
Kong’s protectors move him away from Skull Island while searching for his ancestral home. At the same time, Godzilla starts attacking Apex Cybernetics facilities for reasons no one fully understands.
The two stories meet through the Hollow Earth, a hidden world beneath the planet’s surface.
The film also introduces Jia, a young Iwi girl who communicates with Kong through sign language. Their bond gives Kong a stronger emotional role than he had in the earlier film.
The human story is fairly simple, but the monster battles deliver what most viewers came to see. Godzilla and Kong fight several times before Mechagodzilla forces them to work together.
Why it matters: It reveals more of the Hollow Earth and turns Godzilla and Kong from enemies into reluctant allies.
Post-credit scene: None.
5. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
The New Empire spends more time with the Titans and less time explaining every move through human dialogue.
Kong explores the Hollow Earth and finds a hidden group of giant apes ruled by the Skar King. He also meets Suko, a younger ape, and Shimo, an ancient ice Titan controlled by the Skar King.
Godzilla remains on the surface, gathering energy as he senses a new threat.
The movie eventually brings the two Titans together again. This time, the focus isn’t on which one will win. It’s about whether they can stop a danger that threatens both of their worlds.
The tone is lighter and more exaggerated than the 2014 film. It plays like a full monster adventure, with giant battles, strange locations, and very little interest in realism.
That won’t suit everyone. But by this point, the franchise knows exactly what kind of spectacle it wants to deliver.
Why it matters: It expands the Hollow Earth, develops Kong as a leader, and strengthens the uneasy partnership between him and Godzilla.
Post-credit scene: None.
Read Also: How to Watch the Mission Impossible Movies in Order
Godzilla Kong Movies in Order by Timeline
Chronological order begins with Kong: Skull Island because its main story happens in 1973.
After that, the films follow the same basic order as their release dates.
| Chronological Order | Movie | Main Timeline Position |
| 1 | Kong: Skull Island | 1973 |
| 2 | Godzilla | 2014 |
| 3 | Godzilla: King of the Monsters | Several years after the 2014 attack |
| 4 | Godzilla vs. Kong | After Ghidorah’s defeat |
| 5 | Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire | After Kong moves into the Hollow Earth |
| 6 | Godzilla x Kong: Supernova | After The New Empire |
Watching the godzilla kong movies in order by timeline works well on a rewatch.
You begin with one of Monarch’s early missions, then move into the modern Titan era. Kong’s history also comes first, which gives his later journey a different feel.
Still, the post-credit scene in Kong: Skull Island works better after Godzilla. That’s one reason release order remains the better starting point.
Where the Monsterverse TV Shows Fit
The TV shows add more history, but they aren’t required.
You can watch all five films without seeing either series and still understand the main story.
| Series | Main Timeline | Best Placement |
| Skull Island | Between Kong: Skull Island and Godzilla | After Kong: Skull Island |
| Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 1 | Mainly the 1950s and 2015 | After Godzilla |
| Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2 | Mainly the 1950s and 2017 | After Season 1 |
Netflix’s animated Skull Island follows shipwrecked explorers who encounter Kong and other creatures. It takes place after the 1973 expedition but before the modern Monsterverse films.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters digs deeper into the organization’s past. The first season follows Cate and Kentaro Randa as they uncover their family’s connection to Monarch.
The story also jumps back to the 1950s, where younger researchers investigate the Titans and help shape the organization.
Season 2 continues the story and places much of its modern action in 2017.
A practical viewing order looks like this:
- Kong: Skull Island
- Skull Island
- Godzilla
- Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 1
- Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters
- Godzilla vs. Kong
- Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
Trying to arrange every flashback and episode by exact date quickly becomes messy. Watching each season normally makes more sense.
Which Godzilla and Kong Movies Aren’t Part of the Monsterverse?
Godzilla and Kong have appeared in many films outside Legendary’s shared universe.
Those movies don’t need to be included in this watch order.
| Movie or Series | Part of the Monsterverse? | Continuity |
| Godzilla (1954) | No | Original Toho series |
| King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) | No | Toho Showa era |
| Godzilla (1998) | No | Separate American adaptation |
| King Kong (2005) | No | Peter Jackson’s remake |
| Shin Godzilla | No | Standalone Toho story |
| Godzilla Minus One | No | Separate Toho continuity |
| Godzilla Minus Zero | No | Sequel to Godzilla Minus One |
| Toho’s anime trilogy | No | Separate animated continuity |
Godzilla Minus One often causes confusion because it arrived close to The New Empire.
It isn’t a Monsterverse prequel. Toho produced it as a separate story set in postwar Japan.
Its sequel, Godzilla Minus Zero, also belongs to that continuity. It has no connection to Legendary’s Godzilla or Kong films.
What Comes After The New Empire?
The next Monsterverse movie is Godzilla x Kong: Supernova.
| Detail | Confirmed Information |
| Title | Godzilla x Kong: Supernova |
| Release date | March 26, 2027 |
| Director | Grant Sputore |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. |
| Story position | After The New Empire |
| Status | Officially announced |
The film will continue the Monsterverse after The New Empire.
Full plot details remain limited, so it’s best to avoid treating online rumors as fact. Fan-made trailers often use official-looking titles and thumbnails.
For reliable updates, stick to Legendary, Warner Bros., and official Godzilla channels.
How Long Does a Monsterverse Marathon Take?
The five released films run for 10 hours and 1 minute in total.
Add food breaks, bathroom stops, and a little breathing room between movies, and a one-day marathon will take closer to 12 hours.
| Marathon Plan | Movies | Approximate Runtime |
| Friday | Godzilla | 2 hours, 3 minutes |
| Saturday | Kong: Skull Island and King of the Monsters | 4 hours, 10 minutes |
| Sunday | Godzilla vs. Kong and The New Empire | 3 hours, 48 minutes |
| One day | All five movies | 10 hours, 1 minute |
A three-day plan feels more comfortable.
The first three movies build the separate Godzilla and Kong stories. The final two bring them together and open up the Hollow Earth.
For a shorter version, try this order:
- Godzilla
- Kong: Skull Island
- Godzilla vs. Kong
- Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire
That cuts out King of the Monsters, but you’ll miss important details about Ghidorah, Monarch, and the Titan hierarchy.
Final Thoughts
The best way to watch the godzilla kong movies in order is simple: start with Godzilla from 2014 and follow the release sequence.
| Viewer Type | Best Order |
| First-time viewer | Release order |
| Returning fan | Chronological order |
| Dedicated fan | Movies and TV shows |
| Viewer with limited time | Condensed four-film order |
| Future complete marathon | Add Supernova after The New Empire |
Release order gives the reveals more impact and lets the Monsterverse grow at a natural pace.
Chronological order is worth trying later, especially if you want to follow Monarch’s history from the 1970s into the modern Titan era.
The TV series add useful details, but they remain optional. Older Toho films, Godzilla Minus One, and Godzilla Minus Zero belong to separate timelines.
For now, the movie story ends with Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. Godzilla x Kong: Supernova is scheduled to continue the franchise on March 26, 2027.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Question | Quick Answer |
| Should I watch in release order? | Yes, especially the first time |
| Are the TV shows required? | No |
| Is Godzilla Minus One connected? | No |
| Is another movie coming? | Yes, in March 2027 |
| How long are all five films? | 10 hours and 1 minute |
Why Does Kong: Skull Island Come First Chronologically?
Its main story takes place in 1973.
That puts it decades before the modern events of Godzilla. It also shows one of Monarch’s early encounters with giant creatures.
Can I Watch Godzilla vs. Kong Without the Earlier Films?
Yes, but the earlier films make it better.
They explain Monarch, Skull Island, the Titan hierarchy, and why both creatures behave the way they do.
Do I Need to Watch King Kong vs. Godzilla From 1962?
No.
The 1962 movie belongs to Toho’s older Showa-era series. It was the first movie to place Godzilla and Kong against each other, but it has no story connection to the 2021 film.
Why Does One Movie Use “vs.” and the Next Use “x”?
Godzilla vs. Kong treats them as rivals.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire treats them as partners facing the same threat.
The title change reflects that shift.
Are All the Monsterverse Movies Rated PG-13?
Yes.
The films include large-scale destruction, creature violence, frightening images, and people in danger. Younger viewers who enjoy superhero or dinosaur movies may be comfortable with them, but the 2014 film has a darker tone.
Are the Monsterverse Comics Required?
No.
The comics add background stories about Monarch and the Titans, but the movies explain everything needed to follow the main plot.
