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The King of Monsters isn't done yet! Join us as we dive into our boldest predictions for the next chapter in Takashi Yamazaki's "Godzilla" saga. From terrifying new kaiju entering the fray to Noriko's unsettling mutation and the U.S. military's secret weapon program, the future of this franchise looks monstrous. What do YOU think comes next? Let us know in the comments!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're making three predictions for Godzilla after Minus
00:05Zero, or whatever they end up calling the third one.
00:09There will be spoilers ahead.
00:18Godzilla Minus Zero lived up to its Oscar-winning predecessor, not only taking the action to
00:23another level, but evolving upon the themes and characters as well.
00:31It seems only natural that the story will continue, although director Takashi Yamazaki hasn't
00:37committed to a trilogy yet.
00:39Discussing the likelihood of a third film, Yamazaki said,
00:54Yamazaki has other projects lined up, including his first Hollywood picture, Grand Gear.
00:59Regardless, Yamazaki said he'd love to revisit Godzilla at some point.
01:09Given Minus Zero's box office success, we have a hard time believing this will be Yamazaki's
01:14last Godzilla movie, even if we do have to wait for a third.
01:18Until then, we can make predictions on what's to come.
01:30Monsters who could potentially join the fight.
01:34Walking out of Godzilla Minus Zero, many questioned whether King Ghidorah survived.
01:38Ghidorah seems pretty dead, but so did Godzilla during the climax of Minus One.
01:54Even if Ghidorah comes back, the next movie will still need at least one new monster in
01:59the mix if they want to keep building momentum.
02:02Yamazaki, or whoever helms the third film, has no shortage of iconic monsters to choose
02:08from.
02:13Minus Zero takes place in 1949, the same year the Soviet Union conducted its first nuclear
02:20weapons test.
02:21This escalated the nuclear arms race over the following decade.
02:25Just as Godzilla was an allegory for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Rodan was
02:32a direct response to the Soviet Union's growing nuclear threats.
02:45Considering the timeframe, Rodan seems like an appropriate choice, whether serving as Godzilla's
02:50opponent, ally, or both.
02:52Mothra is another monster who could tie in well with this continuity's themes.
02:58Godzilla Minus One and Zero are largely about trauma.
03:01They're also about healing, which is where Mothra can fit in.
03:05Where most monsters in the franchise represent destruction, Mothra is traditionally a symbol
03:11of rebirth, restoring harmony and balance to nature.
03:27If Yamazaki wants to cap off his trilogy with a happy, or at least a bittersweet ending, Mothra
03:33could make a sacrifice so Koichi, Noriko, and Akiko can live in peace.
03:38This would also feed into the concept of new beginnings, allowing our heroes to start fresh, far from
03:45any kaiju.
03:58Destroyer and Anguirus are just a few other candidates from Toho's lengthy cantalogue.
04:17The third film might not necessarily go to the fanservice route, however.
04:21When asked which monsters he'd like to see in a third film, Yamazaki said, well, that's
04:27a question to which only Toho knows the answer.
04:30But if it were up to me, I think it would be very interesting to perhaps even create an
04:35original kaiju to explore in another film.
04:42As much as we'd love to see Yamazaki's take on any of the ever-mentioned monsters, it's
04:48been a while since we got an entirely original kaiju from this franchise.
04:52If any filmmaker could cook up a new one who could stand their own against established names,
04:58it's Yamazaki.
05:07The monster mayhem never ends on WatchMojo's 24-7 livestream.
05:12Scan the QR code onscreen to join us for non-stop kaiju action.
05:19Noriko will continue to mutate.
05:22Minus 1 and 0 both deliver uplifting endings, although each came with an asterisk.
05:37Noriko survived her encounter with Godzilla, but the mark on her neck hinted at lasting
05:42side effects.
05:43When Noriko reveals her neck and right eye in the following film, we learn that Godzilla's
05:49cells have caused her to mutate.
05:51It also symbiotically bonds Noriko and Godzilla, allowing her to draw the beast out.
06:00Although Noriko participates in an operation to stop Ghidorah, she doesn't want to be used
06:06as a weapon.
06:06The film ends with Koichi, Noriko, and Akiko fleeing as a family, but they might not be
06:13able to outrun this dilemma.
06:15Even if they evade the authorities, it's only a matter of time until another monster attacks.
06:28Noriko may come out of hiding, summoning Godzilla to deal with another threat.
06:32It's the only way to escape.
06:34It's the only way to escape.
06:36It's the only way to escape.
06:38It's the only way to escape.
06:38Seeing how Godzilla has largely been this family's source of trauma, having Noriko accept her connection
06:44could be the only path forward.
06:46For all we know though, Noriko isn't done mutating.
06:50Becoming a biological beacon for Godzilla could just be the first stage in an ongoing transformation.
07:01Reddit user Azura989 has an interesting theory, suggesting Noriko might die and be buried.
07:08Maybe her G-cells will combine with the soil, creating a plant hybrid Kaiju like Biolante.
07:14Debuting in 1989, Biolante was created when a doctor spliced his dead daughter's cells with
07:21Godzilla's.
07:22So the idea of human and Godzilla DNA merging into a giant monster isn't out the realm of
07:28possibility.
07:29Yamazaki even credited Godzilla vs Biolante for introducing him to the G-cells concept,
07:35perhaps hinting at where the story could go next.
07:44Azura989 had a similar theory for another monster, predicting that Noriko may emerge from
07:50a cocoon and become Mothra.
07:52While that'd be a completely different origin story, it'd still align with Mothra's theme
07:58of resurrection.
07:59Although she's not biologically related to Noriko, it's also been theorized that
08:04Akiko might be the one who summons Mothra.
08:07If Akiko's adoptive mother becomes Mothra, such a connection would make even more sense.
08:13Well, by Godzilla logic.
08:15This all sounds pretty nutty, but it's not like this franchise hasn't gone to some bizarre
08:21places over the years.
08:23In any case, Noriko can't run from what's growing inside her.
08:32The US military will build a mech.
08:35We think the US military will play a bigger role in the third movie, especially considering
08:41where Minus Zero leaves us.
08:51After Ghidorah's defeat, the US considers striking Godzilla.
08:55They hold off, believing Godzilla may be more useful to them alive than dead.
09:00This only gives Koichi, Noriko, and Akiko more incentive to run.
09:05Those three might have gotten away, but Kanji Murakami is taken into the US military's
09:10custody.
09:11Murakami initially sought to use Godzilla as a means of revenge against the US for killing
09:17his family in Hiroshima.
09:19Having a change of heart, Murakami burns his research.
09:22In an ironic twist though, Murakami may be forced to serve the country that he held a grudge
09:28against.
09:32The US military might have Murakami recreate his research and find new ways to weaponize
09:39Noriko's G-cells.
09:44Then again, they may not need Noriko or even Godzilla.
09:48Ghidorah's remains were left behind along with one of Godzilla's arms.
09:52Perhaps the military will use these leftovers to genetically engineer another monster, with
09:59Murakami reluctantly aiding the project.
10:02Since monsters are unpredictable though, the military may prefer a Kaiju they can control.
10:07It's already been hinted that the US military might be working on a weapon of their own.
10:13What if they're in the early stages of building Mechagodzilla?
10:23A cyborg like Gigan is another possibility, but Godzilla's Mecha counterpart seems like
10:29the next logical step.
10:31And not just because it's a fan favorite.
10:34If Godzilla Minus One mirrored World War 2 and Minus Zero centered around post-war Japan,
10:40it'd make sense for the third film to deal with the Cold War, specifically the nuclear
10:45arms race.
10:50The film could see multiple countries devise weapons capable of taking on Godzilla.
10:56Mechagodzilla would be the ultimate weapon, although it'd also be a huge misfire if the
11:02tech turned on its creators.
11:14This would not only reflect the Cold War, but also our modern world as AI becomes more common
11:21place in warfare.
11:22Having Godzilla face off against Mechagodzilla in this continuity seems like a no-brainer.
11:28After all, what's better than one Godzilla?
11:31Godzilla plus one.
11:33Hey, I think we just predicted the third movie's title.
11:51What do you think the next Godzilla movie will be called?
11:54Do you have any plot predictions?
11:56Let us know in those comments below!